Loving You Forever
by hecalledmecarrots
Summary: So, here is the follow up to my story 'Best Friends Forever', this as that was is the same Alternative Universe (AU) just so you know you will need to read that one first, otherwise this one will make no sense at all! Which can be found here s/12027936/1/Best-Friends-Forever The story of what happens after they decide nothing will ever come between them again.
1. The start of something new

Hi Folks,

So, here is the follow up to my story 'Best Friends Forever', this as that was is the same Alternative Universe (AU) just so you know you will need to read that one first, otherwise this one will make no sense at all! Which can be found here s/12027936/1/Best-Friends-Forever

This story is both the beginning of their relationship and it in 7 years. It jumps from one timezone to another so I have Italicized all the story which takes place immediately after BFF. Normal text is when Gilbert has finished medical school.

Hopefully this won't be as heart wrenching as the last one!

thanks to you all

love

Carrots x

* * *

"Joyce! Walter!" Anne called to her small children. "come, remember my lovelies today is Daddy's day we need to behave like…"

"we are refined." Gilbert said in his best full on English voice as he grabbed Anne around her waist and kissed her gently on her cheek with a grin on his face. "Like this was the plan all along."

The two children giggled at their father's behaviour acting as he often did, a big child. Their mother chuckling gently. "Oh So refined!" She laughed.

"Joy, Walter, I told you give your ma and pa just two minutes alone together." Bertha said after them catching up. "Sorry." She said to them. "I thought I told them…!" She said picking up Walter in her arms and taking Joyce by the hand.

"Papa, does this mean you're a real doctor now?" Joyce asked her father. The little girl eyes were wide grey/green and expressive as her mothers and her hair was a bouncing curl brown like her fathers.

"It sure does baby girl, seven years are paying off." He said brightly.

She ran to him leaping into one of his arms "I'm so proud of you daddy you look so handsome in your doctor robes." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you baby girl." He said gently to her.

"I'm not a baby!" she laughed. "I'm four!"

"Four!" he exclaimed, "no no that can't be right! Wait let me see? You're mama graduated then you…"

He looked to Anne who nodded.

"I'm four and a half papa!" Joyce giggled.

"You're right." He said with a smile. "How could I doubt you!" he said giving his daughter a kiss passing her to Anne.

"Picture?" A man offered coming across the family.

"Two please?" Gilbert said. "One with us all, one with just me and my wife?" he asked. He beckoned over Walter who landed happily in his father's arms. "Bertha come over." Gilbert called.

"Oh, no, I…" She started.

"Don't even!" he objected, "we could never have done this without you." He said putting his free arm out to her. She smiled gently and came to her son in laws arm he smiled and kissed her in her hair. "Thank you Bertha."

"I know Gilbert dear."

 _Gilbert had taken the window route to her bedroom. Knowing if he went in the backdoor Roy would be full of questions as to if he had found Anne, why was Anne not with him and why was he looking so flushed._

 _He knew Anne's clothes were packed and waiting at the bottom of her bed. Having been put there for leaving the next day. She had given him specific instructions as to where to find what clothes. He found her suitcase emptying the contents which had been so carefully and perfectly packed. He replaced most the clothes with pretty clothes Anne had directed him to. He was part way through the packing when a dress was placed on the bed beside him by at first an unknown hand. He looked to the owner and saw Bertha finishing placing it on the bed._

 _"My wedding dress." She whispered._

 _He turned and looked at her amazed "How could you…?" he started._

 _"And my mamma's and papa's wedding rings, along with their engagement ring." She told him. "I was waiting to give them to Anne but it wasn't enough for the Gardner's, tell me where to go if you like but…"_

 _"no, Bertha." He interrupted. "Really its very generous." He told her "but… how could you know?!" he asked her._

 _Bertha smiled with a pretty blush coming to her face. "Because once you found her, there was never going to be another resolution." She told him taking him by the hand._

 _Gilbert let out a sighed laugh "The real Anne, my Nan, she was in there, she thought… she thought because I hadn't told her that I loved her that I didn't." Bertha's smile widened listening to him. "But I did and yesterday I practically told her so because if the real Anne was still in there, it was my last chance you know to get to her… to get her to listen and I thought she didn't, but she remembered our first kiss…"_

 _"You've kissed Anne!" Bertha exclaimed. "When?!"_

 _Gilbert froze for a second before looking to her nervously, "You remember the night I brought her home drunk and I took her to her bedroom? She kissed me." He explained._

 _She squealed quietly in excitement._

 _" I told her and she… actually she said it first. She loves me!" he gasped as a tear escaped his eye._

 _Bertha laughed sweetly. "Of course she does!" she said in a low tone as they hugged._

 _"I love her." He told Bertha. "I should have asked you if I could ask her to marry me." He said to her pulled back._

 _"Don't be silly." Bertha told him. "I've always wanted her to marry you!" she continued "Walter wanted it too, consider it his approval too!" Bertha told him._

 _"That's good, I always wanted his permission." He told her. "Thank you for the dress and the rings." Gilbert said quietly. "Anne will love them."_

 _"Yes." Bertha agreed. "She will won't she?"_

 _"I wish…" he started with a small sigh. "I wish you could come with us." He told her._

 _Bertha shook her head "You really missed the point in eloping!" She laughed. "But," she sighed. "Someone has to deal with the Gardners!" She almost grunted._

 _"Oh Bertha, I'm so sorry." He said. "How is that going?"_

 _"Up until ten minutes ago Roy was panicking. I think I've managed to convince him to go Spain and be with his mother which, by the way he's deferred his third-year entry to Redmond, apparently because he would still be in Spain."_

 _"No!" Gilbert gasped. "That little liar!" Gilbert exclaimed. "It's up to Anne!" he quoted "he never had any intention of letting her go back to college!"_

 _"Apparently not." Bertha agreed. "Aline is accusing Anne of being everything bad under the sun and poor Dorothy is suck in the middle."_

 _"The only good penny in the pack." Gilbert sighed._

 _Bertha sighed, "Come now Gil, you know Roy is just…" she started but unable to finish the sentence. She smiled. "It doesn't matter, what matters is that you are going to be my son in law!"_

 _"I love her!" He told her._

 _"I know." Bertha smiled._

 _"Tell my parents?" he asked her._

 _"Of course." She said. "your things?" she asked him._

 _"I dropped them at the train station this morning before…" he trailed. "I really just wanted to get out of here." He chuckled. "I better go, Anne will be waiting." He said quietly. "Will you be okay with the Gardner's?" He asked her. Bertha smiled and raised her eyebrow playfully and Gilbert chuckled. "Message received."_

 _He went towards the window and put one leg out "Hey Gil." She called to him. He looked back at her. "one last time." She smiled at the window._

 _"Yeah." Gilbert smiled. "I guess I was wrong earlier in the summer." He shrugged. He left through the window. Bertha smiled and closed the window behind him. She smiled as she watched Gilbert run down the lane having a funny feeling she knew exactly where Anne was hiding. She whispered gently "You did it Walter, thank God you did it!"_

"Come to Nanny Bertha." Bertha called to her. Joyce ran to her grandmother and took her by the hand and looked to her younger brother Walter, his curly atop red hair and big frank hazel eyes like his father although neither Joyce nor Walter looked exactly like either one of their parents they were both the perfect mix of them and looked nothing alike at the same time.

"Are we going back to Avonlea tonight?" Joyce asked her grandmother.

"Yes." Bertha said with a smile.

"To stay?" Joyce asked her.

"I… I don't know yet, we'll see."

"Is that why papa and mama are staying longer?" she asked her grandmother, "for papa to find a job."

Bertha smiled inwardly. No, that was not the reason. But Bertha smiled. "No not exactly" she said as she lead her grandchildren away. "But we will get to see Granny and Granpappy Blythe too!"

"Smile…" The camera man said to Anne and Gilbert before he took the snap and went to Gilbert for his details.

"Congratulations," Anne said with a smile to him. "Doctor Blythe."


	2. A quiet moment

Hi Folks,

I have to say thank you for loving this Anne and Gilbert too.

Yes! As you all can see the chapters are split mostly in two (although this will vary from time to time) based in the aftermath of Best friends Forever and after Gilbert has been through medical school. As one person said it would take a LONG time to get there if I didn't do it this way!

love

Carrots x

* * *

Anne smiled as she hugged into Gilbert for bed that night. The apartment they had rented for the past seven year was so still and quiet, their belongings packed away, two children and a mother (in law) missing, Anne sighed.

"Is there something wrong love?" Gilbert asked her gently.

"It's just so quiet!" Anne admitted. "I'm not used to it."

Gilbert chuckled, "no, I suppose not anymore." He said playing with her hair.

She sighed. "it could have been so different if we had waited to wed you know?" she said quietly.

Gilbert shuddered burying himself in the covers taking Anne in his arms, giving multiple kisses to her shoulder and neck. "I wasn't going to let you get away Nan." He said now nipping gently with his teeth her neck, making Anne blush and enjoy his embraces more. "a life without Joy or Walter? " he asked her.

"A life without living with your mother-in-law." Anne grinned.

Gilbert shrugged "we couldn't have done it this way without her." he admitted. "besides she's been working for the three four... Five of us." He said gently. "and you wouldn't have had the time to write so those stories never would have been written never mind published." He said kissing her lips again. "and lets not forget the near miss of Avril." He said with a know it all grin.

Anne pushed him playfully and sat up on the mattress folding her arms "trust you to bring Avril up." She said with a grin to him. "She was my romantic outlet."

Gilbert sat up bedside her, cupping one side of her jaw in his palm stroking her gently and then after proclaiming "I thought I was that. " in a low tone, he kissed down the other side of the jaw.

She giggled and looked at him seriously "there wasn't much room for that!"

 _Gilbert held her from the back his arms round her waist as they watched PEI fade into the horizon. Anne sighed for a moment "love," he whispered holding her still. "are you okay?"_

 _Anne smiled and brought his arms round her tighter. "I am. " she whispered. "I just can't believe what a fool I've been." She shuddered. "I'd been living a lie for so long, I almost forgot the truth."_

 _"We'd been apart too long." He said quietly them with his boyish lopsided grin added "not anymore."_

 _She smiled her fingers playing with his in front of her. "not ever again. " she told him quietly._

 _He sighed gently a serious look returning to his face "Can I ask you something Nan?"_

 _"of course." She said turning in his arms to face him._

 _"Just, the intimacy part, the... You know... " he asked her nervously. He swallowed and looked at her again "I mean you must have thought about it with Roy."_

 _She blushed deeply. "Honestly, no I didn't." She told him and upon seeing he didn't quite believe her added "I did with you though."_

 _Gilbert's eyes shot up in surprise "when!? " he exclaimed._

 _Anne giggled and bit a smile back for a moment. "growing up, even when I knew I loved you I'd only ever thought of kissing and hugs." She shared with him to which his smile returned. "but then, after you had told the story of our first kiss, when we came home mamma sat me down for 'the talk'" she continued "she didn't say anything to scare me, in fact all she described was how wonderful it was to be truly intimate with someone." She paused and swallowed. "I went to bed and all that was in my minds eye was a reply of our first kiss..." she blushed "...and then my imagination made us intimate, try as I might to make it Roy."_

 _Gilbert couldn't help but laugh._

 _"it wasn't funny!" Anne exclaimed trying to fight herself into not laughing. "Here I was, trying my best to love a man and my miscreant of a best friend appears in my fantasies..." she said loosing the battle to laugh she turned into him letting his arms surround her, her nose cuddled into his chest. "...and my dreams." She whispered._

 _"your dreams?" Gilbert asked genuinely astonished._

 _She nodded not looking up. "I dreamt of us being... Well... We were...fondling." She whispered._

 _His jaw dropped slightly and he held her a little tighter._

 _"I woke up and my heart was pounding and all I could think of was... You. The only reason I made it back to sleep is, well I imagined you were there with me sleeping in bed with me and your arms were around me. " she said quietly._

 _Gilbert grinned "is that why you wouldn't look at me yesterday?" he asked to which he received a prompt nod._

 _"then what you said... " she trailed. "oh Gil." She said squeezing into him more._

 _He stroked her hair gently. "Its okay Nan." He assured her with a grin he whispered. "nothing you confess, would make me love you less." He said with a grin, "And anyway," He admitted "it doesn't make me feel as wicked for having those dreams and fantasies."_

 _Anne pulled back and looked at him a smile fixed firmly on his face, his cheeks flushed "Why, Gilbert Blythe you mean that, don't you?!" She said in surprise._

 _He laughed "Still with the element of surprise!" he said to her._

 _She laughed too and hugged into him._

 _"You know sweetheart, we need to let go of this summer, well I suppose for you the past fourteen months for you." She looked at him seriously "we need to not lay blame, I'm sure I believe I am to blame and you believe you are to blame. It needs to stop, here right here, otherwise we'll never recover."_

 _"I know." She said quietly. "So, you have forgiven my total idiotic behaviour done out of broken heart?" She asked him._

 _"And you are willing to forgive my complete and utter inability to convey my feelings… I… I should have told you a long time ago." He sighed, "It's no wonder you believed I had no feelings for you. I've been a fool too."_

 _They took a sigh together and a quick kiss to the lips with a whisper of 'I love you' to each other._

 _"And that's it over." Gilbert whispered._

Gilbert smiled in content as he watched Anne sleep. She was right as ever, the last seven years could have been a whole lot different had they not chosen to elope. But to be 27, have two beautiful children a wonderful wife and a supportive and loving mother in law… it had been hard at times, times when the demands of society had almost crushed them, but they worked through it.

'No', he decided, 'changing any of it wouldn't do at all.'


	3. When tomorrow comes

"Gilbert are you sure about this interview?" Anne asked him as they entered the ship. "The journey to England is a week!" She told him.

"I don't need reminding of that Nan." He said with a smile to her. "But it's a chance of a lifetime! This man and his team are developing the vaccine for typhoid with the British Army. Wouldn't it be grand not only to make your father proud but do something for our boys?" he asked her.

She grinned widely. "Its quite the distance from the Island that's all." She said softly. "We'll be away from my mother, your parents, the children won't see their grandparents for at least a year!"

"But think of the benefits, living in a different country? The pay will be constant rather than us worrying about an income, it'll put us in a good position for coming back home and having money to put down on a house, one day."

She smiled. "Our home!" Anne smiled and turned into him kissing him squarely on the lips.

"It's only an interview." He said quietly. "I might not be offered the position." He told her.

"it is the golden opportunity. " she admitted.

He held her there in his arms for a moment. "Shall we find our room?" He said with a smile and a wiggle of his eyebrows.

She bit her bottom lip and blushed slightly "Oh, a um, repeat of last night." She whispered. "Already?"

He grinned and whispered to her "I believe the restriction we put on ourselves has now past." He grinned. "We were never very good at keeping it anyway." They giggled together.

"Well not while I was pregnant anyway." She whispered.

"There's no point in wasting nine months of…" he trailed with a blush as he kissed her hair. "What do you say?" he said his lips remaining close to her ear.

 _They had told a little white lie, in order to stay together and to save money._

 _"Do you think he knew?" Anne asked him as they entered the bedroom._

 _"Why should he?" he asked her as he put her bag down in the room. "We're both old enough to marry." He said to her "there no reason why we wouldn't already be married."_

 _"I just feel a little bad, that's all, we shouldn't have said we were married already." She said with a blush._

 _"It'll be true tomorrow." He said with a grin._

 _"Its destiny, isn't it? They had a cancellation at city hall just as we come, at eight at night, who stays open that late!? And for tomorrow!" Anne said with a smile._

 _"Fated." He said his mouth tugging again._

 _She looked at him with knitted brow "You're teasing!"_

 _He laughed for a moment then looked at her seriously "No Nan, destiny and fate, I don't know, but I know what fate I choose," he said swiftly moving to her and taking her in his arms "and I don't care if I was fated for something else, this is what I want, what I've always wanted." He said to her._

 _She smiled as his kissed her. "And it's my want too." She told him. She looked over to the bed her lips pursed together, "So how are we going to do this?" Anne asked him._

 _He looked over at the bed for a moment "oh." He said then looked back at Anne, "I thought we would just share." He said with a shrug "Its not as if we haven't before."_

 _"Oh!" Anne blushed._

 _"If you don't want to…" he started._

 _"Oh no its not that…" she told him._

 _"Then wh-?" he started but then stopped when he saw her wide eyes. "Oh, no, no no no my love." He whispered. "I didn't mean share, like…_ _ **that**_ _!" he told her._

 _"No?" Anne asked him._

 _"No truly Nan." He said. He took a sigh "No my love." He said pressing his forehead to her for a moment. "Come here, come on." He said taking her by the hand and sitting on the end of the bed with her, she by his side. "Nan." He started. "As much as I love you, and I want to…" his mouth stuck on the phrase as he blushed out "make love" he continued "to you, I want you to know, that our marriage, our union, it isn't about having sex with you." He said taking her by the hands "its about no one, no one ever separating us ever again, its about us being a part of each other, every moment for the rest of our lives."_

 _"No more misunderstanding about how we feel." She smiled_

 _"But a fresh start." He said nodding. "And anyway, I want us to start our marriage right." He whispered._

 _She looked at him. "Tomorrow?" she asked him. "Can we?"_

 _He smiled. "I hope so." He said grinning looking at her in the eyes. "But after tomorrow, we really can't risk, that is… I want babies one day just… we have to.. control ourselves until …" he trailed as if he was stuck on the words again._

 _"Until we are ready for our first baby to come along?" she said her face beaming._

 _"Our baby!" he said his heart thumping his lips upturned._

 _She giggled looking at him. "What if I fall pregnant right away?" she asked him._

 _"Then we deal with it then." He said. "no point over worrying about something that might not happen on the first go."_

 _"And…" she blushed slightly "can we still…" she was the one stumbling now. "…like in my dream?" she asked him._

 _Gilbert's smile went lopsided "I hope so!" he exclaimed._

 _She sighed in what Gilbert thought was relief. "Good." She said._

 _"So we agree?" he asked her._

 _"We agree." She smiled with a quick kiss which sealed the approval._

 _"Bedtime?" He asked._

 _"Oh yes!" Anne agreed. "its been a long day!" she said to him._

 _He smiled "and look its only 9pm." He said._

 _"A lot has happened since nine o'clock this morning." Anne said with a grin to him._

 _"Seems like a lifetime ago." He said kissing her._

 _"You let go of my hand!" she said looking sadly at it._

 _"I promise," he whispered "I will never let go of it, ever again."_

 _They changed into their nightshirts, each taking turns to use the bathroom down the hall to change, they soon found themselves in bed snuggled against each other. Gilbert cuddling into Anne's back, his arms around her their bodies pressed close their arms, hands and legs tangled in each other's._

 _"The last time we did this…" She whispered. "I had no idea you loved me."_

 _"This?" he asked her at their closeness. "I can't remember sleeping this close Nan." He said with a grin. "Not since we were… what you must have been eight?" he questioned._

 _"The night before you left the island." Anne said taking is arms and tightening them round her. She giggled "Do you remember when we were in that tent and it was freezing so we snuggled into one sleeping bag?"_

 _He chuckled "You were asleep right on top of me." He smiled. "You smelt of Strawberries and Vanilla."_

 _"I…." Anne stuttered. "I do?" she asked him. "Isn't that strange that's your fav…ou…rite…." She turned her head over her shoulder and looked at him, "You liked Strawberries and Vanilla because…" she trailed._

 _"They reminded me of you." He said quietly. His heartbeat out a little faster, worried of what she would say to the revelation. "I… I'm, sor…." He stared but surprised by her lips kissing his._

 _"I've missed you Gil." She whispered turning back letting him snuggle into her neck again._

 _"I know." He said kissing her in the nape of the neck. "I've missed you too Nan."_

 _"Hey Gil?" she started._

 _"Yeah?" he asked, obviously dropping off to sleep._

 _"I love you." She said gently._

 _"I love you too Nan." He answered._

 _"No matter what?" she asked him._

 _He grinned at the child found phrase, re-found between them, which brought an additional meaning, as well as in their friendship, in their love. He kissed her in her hair "No matter what."_

He cuddled into the back of her now, their clothes long dispensed. "Nan." He whispered.

"Umph." Was her murmured reply.

He looked down with a grin "Are you sleeping?" he asked her.

"no." she said a bit more clearly after a few seconds. "Just resting my eyes." She looked up to him and grinned. "So, whats the name of this fella who's developing the vaccine again?" Anne asked him.

"Almroth Wright*." He said gently. "Though he's not conducting the initial interview, the armed forces are doing that, they have to okay everyone who goes on the team."

"Are you excited?" Anne said with a smile. "Its why you started studying to become a doctor."

He smiled thoughtfully. "I suppose I am." He said deeply.

"I suppose..." she said knowingly "the thought of being a medical doctor as in a family doctor is still in your mind?" she asked him.

"I can't help it for some reason. " he told her gently. "you think doctor... " he trailed.

"we can see how this goes. " she smiled reassuringly at him.

"hey Nan?" he said with a hint of excitement.

"yeah? " she said snuggling back down to his chest.

"we're at the start... " he said with a smile.

"Of our dreams." She finished for him. "I'm so glad I get to share them with you. " she smiled.

"Me too." He said with a happy sigh of relief.

* * *

* Almroth Wright was indeed the scientist who discovered the vaccine for typhoid fever, just a couple of years after this is set. You'll find out later on what type of man he was, he worked with the forces in England to vaccinate the soldiers there.


	4. A Mothers instincts

I keep on trying to update Best Friends forever with this! I know its them, but at the same time its a different story! And what's strange is I dont't do it with becoming Jane/drawing parallels!

So this is a chapter about when your motherly instincts try to protect goes into overdrive!

Bless Mrs Blythe!

* * *

Bertha came off the train at Bright River and smelt the air. There was something about this place, even from the first day, which gave her thrills every time she breathed in.

"Bertha!" Mrs Blythe called to her greeting her and the children at the train station.

"Granny Blythe!" Joy called and ran to her landing in her arms.

"Oh my dear child!" Mrs Blythe said hugging her granddaughter close. "Oh I've missed you!" she exclaimed.

"I missed you too Granny Blythe but look!" she said holding up a hand drawn picture of Gilbert's graduation for her. "I thought since you couldn't come, you might like to see daddy graduating!" she exclaimed.

"Why Joy," she said with a smile "that was very thoughtful!" she told her she looked to see Bertha with Walter in arms. "Ohhh!" she exclaimed at his sleeping face.

"He fell asleep on the train." Joy told her.

"How are you Bertha?" Mrs Blythe asked her.

"I'm well." She said with a smiled to her friend and in law. "I'm glad Gilbert has graduated." She said as they started towards the end of the platform.

"And to think…" Mrs Blythe said, "I was in my mind to stop them."

 _"I'm not quite sure what you are hoping to accomplish." Bertha had said as Mrs Blythe had stormed off the steps of the town hall._

 _"They were here an hour ago!" Mrs Blythe had exclaimed. "They couldn't have gone very far!" She exclaimed. She stopped suddenly and looked at Bertha "You don't think they married today do you?"_

 _Bertha couldn't help but smile. "I thought you wanted Anne and Gilbert to marry?" Bertha asked her._

 _"This can destroy their dreams! It'll destroy them! Gilbert wants to be a doctor!"_

 _"And Gilbert will still be a doctor, love always finds its way."_

 _"Yes!" Mrs Blythe burst. "Its waits!"_

 _"Waits?!" Bartha said exasperated by her. "What do you think Gilbert has been doing? What do you think drove Anne into thinking she couldn't be loved by the man she loved?"_

 _Mrs Blythe huffed slightly and walked blindly forward. Bertha couldn't help but smile. Ever so practical, that was Mrs Blythe, she was like Walter. Bertha and John were the romantics. Had their children just inherited that side of them?_

 _It wasn't until later that evening they had found a 'Mr and Mrs Blythe' checked into a very small hotel. Mrs Blythe had insisted on the room number and Bertha had followed from the rear, hoping to instil some calm into whatever situation they were found in._

 _Mrs Blythe didn't even knock but went straight into the room. They found the two only partially dressed in a close embrace laying on the bed. Gilbert pulled the sheet covers over the pair out of pure shock._

 _"Mom!" He said in surprise as Anne cuddled into his chest blushing "What are you…?" he started._

 _"Step away from that girl Gilbert Blythe!" She exclaimed._

 _"What?!" He cracked. "No!"_

 _"Do as you are told young man!" She demanded, as Bertha walked quietly round looked at her daughter, more exactly her finger. "You will get out of bed and we will not breath a word of this scandal to another soul and we'll put this entire thing behind you!"_

 _"I think we are too late for that." Bertha breathed quietly._

 _"What?" Mrs Blythe asked. "What do you mean?"_

 _Bertha bit her lip trying to not smile but failing badly. "I mean, you aren't the only Mrs Blythe in the room." She said quietly._

 _But Mrs Blythe was not to be deferred as quickly as that. "Then we'll go to city hall first thing in the morning and get this thing annulled!" She tried again._

 _"No we won't!" It was Gilbert who spoke this time, his arms still firmly around Anne._

 _"Oh really? And what do you suppose will stop us? This fling you had with…" She started._

 _"It's not a fling!" He exclaimed quietly. "Please Ma, shut the door." He asked of her._

 _"Come out now!" She demanded. "I don't care what you say, we will annu…"_

 _"We will not!" Gilbert said sternly. "We've already consummated it!" He said barely above a whisper because the door was wide open. There was complete silence for what seemed like forever before Gilbert dared speak again. "Did you hear me?" he asked quietly._

 _His mother swallowed a couple of times before she spoke gently. "Gilbert, will you come with me for a moment, please?" she asked of him._

 _He peered down to Anne and kissed her gently on the forehead, "I'll be back in a moment." He said gently before he got up and put a dressing gown on and exited the room with his mother._

 _Anne sat up in the bed and brought the blanket (Bertha recognised as the one Anne had crocheted all those years ago) up around her and sat on the end of the bed her mother sat next to her._

 _Bertha's lips played a smile. "I bet you didn't think you'd ever be using that blanket for this!" she said with a laugh._

 _"Mamma!" Anne exclaimed blushing._

 _"Oh Anne!" She exclaimed taking her in her arms hugging her close._

 _At this Anne broke into tears._

 _"Oh baby girl!" she said to her gently "are you okay?"_

 _"I'm, just…" she sighed. "happy, can you believe… I'm happy and crying about it!"_

 _Bertha smiled herself. "No sweetheart," she whispered, "I've cried in joy too, the day I married your father, the day I got to hold you for the first time…" she sighed, "I even cried when I closed the window when Gilbert left yesterday." Anne looked to her concerned "Because I knew, this would make you happy." There was silence for a moment between the two women. "How does it feel?" Bertha asked her daughter again, praying for a different response to the one she had been given the last time she asked her._

 _Anne giggled slightly, "I feel… everything!" She exclaimed quietly. "I feel as though by heart could burst with happiness any second, it races you know? Literally galloping, at just knowing he loves me! I feel so many thing Mama which I have buried for too long! And I'm so happy, all the time and... I love him so much! He means the world and everything in it to me!"_

 _Bertha smiled "Now there is the answer I was looking for!" She smiled. She paused. "Was he…" Bertha slowed to a stop and took a breath. "Was he gentle with you?" She asked Anne._

 _Anne blushed a deep red which made Bertha smile. "It was just as you described mamma, though I don't suppose it ever would have been with…" she almost came to a stop but then continued, "It was absolute truth and love, it was so strange sharing myself like that, but in a wonderful strange kind of way and yet not strange at all because it was Gilbert I was sharing it with." She sighed and looked at a smiling mother "And he loves me! He's loved me forever!" she exclaimed._

 _Bertha laughed. "I could have told you that!" she said to her daughter "You're papa could have told you that!"_

 _Anne laughed then looked at her mother "What do you think they are talking about?"_

 _Gilbert shut the door behind them hoping his mother wasn't about to shout at him._

 _"She was ready to marry someone else, yesterday!" She exclaimed quietly._

 _"She didn't know ma!" he tried quietly. She didn't know!"_

 _"Oh how could she not have known?! You followed her about all this time!" Mrs Blythe looked at him. "And what of this marriage? Did you have to consummate it so quickly!?" She demanded of him._

 _"Yes!" he said so sure of himself, Mrs Blythe could hardly believe it. "This marriage is not a joke ma, it's a pact between us. No one else is coming between us, not ever. We have avoided this topic for years mama and its nearly destroyed us. Its not about sex, its about our vow to each other. We aren't ever leaving each other's sides ma, not ever again and this way, can't you see, we are free to love each other and no one can stop us or tell us we aren't right! How many times have you defended our relationship to others? Telling them for so long we were just friends that's as far as it went? "_

 _Mrs Blythe sighed and sat on a nearby chair. "And the consummation?" she asked._

 _"Well, it was a threefold thing. The first was as a token of love to each other, a pour out a promise a vow for us, this was us and there was nothing between us."_

 _"and the second?"_

 _He grinned slightly "In case anyone tried to separate us, the consummation would make it valid…"_

 _"So, no one could separate you." Mrs Blythe said. She took a big deflating sigh. "and the third?" she questioned quietly coming to the realisation that maybe.. Afterall, it was meant to be this way._

 _He sat on the chair beside her. "we wanted to. " he told her in a blushing whisper. "Ma I love her."_

 _"I know that!" She snapped quietly._

 _"She thought I didn't love her. She was heartbroken, so tried her best to make something of herself, she found herself trapped." He sighed as he looked at his mothers (now concerned) face "Ma." He said taking her hands in his. "Its Nan." He whispered gently._

 _"I know that." Mrs Blythe sad with a look to him._

 _"The girl you always had hopes of me marrying." He said with a serious face._

 _"That was before this summer." Mrs Blythe said quietly. "I've watched you Gilbert, all summer, you've had your heart broken, all you've ever done is love her and she comes home and lands it on you that she loves someone else."_

 _"She landed on me that she was engaged to someone else." He sighed._

 _"Did…" Mrs Blythe slowed to an almost stop. "Did I interrupt the consummation?" She asked him._

 _"No." He said with a blush, really not wanting to talk to his mother about it. "we did that this afternoon." He said quieter still, "we were just…." He trailed, his face beetroot red._

 _Mrs Blythe started to chuckle at his face "fondling?"_

 _Gilbert looked up in shock. "Mother!" he exclaimed._

 _"Oh don't 'mother' me!" she exclaimed more herself. "I was young once." She sighed holding his hands tighter. She eyed Gilbert. "Was she a virgin?" she asked him, partly curious after the fuss that 'Gardner' boy had made._

 _Gilbert sighed heavy, thinking back to that afternoon, the scare Anne had got at the slight pink tinge to the bedsheets. "I think that's between me and my wife, don't you?" he said to his mother but with a roguish smile on his lips which spoke volumes to his mother._

 _"Of course," She said with a knowing smile back. "Prehaps I shouldn't have asked."_

 _"Go in there, look her in the eyes, and tell me she doesn't love me." He challenged her._

 _Mrs Blythe stood from her seat her son behind her as they entered the room. Bertha moved from the bed as Mrs Blythe sat beside Anne. She looked at Anne and saw her great big eyes, eyes which always told the truth when the pair were growing up._

 _"You love my son?" she asked Anne._

 _"Yes Mrs Blythe." Anne replied quietly._

 _"Did you love that other boy?" Mrs Blythe asked._

 _"No." She said, "I could never feel this way about anyone else."_

 _Mrs Blythe took a breath, she knew Anne was telling the truth she could see it in those eyes, she reached for and held Anne's hand. "I suppose, you better stop calling me Mrs Blythe, and get used to 'mother' Blythe." Anne looked up in shock at her, Mrs Blythe twinkling hazel eyes shining at her the way Gilbert's did in good amusement._

 _"Oh!" Anne cried relieved." Thank you Mrs Blythe, I mean Mother Blythe!"_

 _Bertha sighed in relief as the two embraced, she smiled at Gilbert who grinned widely back at her._

 _"I always wanted you to be my daughter!" Mrs Blythe told her. "I can't tell you what this means to me!" She finally said._

 _"Well!" Bertha said with a sigh, "now all that is sorted!" She clapped her hands together once. "Tomorrow we need to get practical," she said. "Gilbert there are a few things you and I need to discuss, and plans we need to set in motion, ready for the upcoming school year." She paused a second and looked to the pair "I take it you both still want your educations?" she asked to which they both nodded._

 _"But Bertha…" Mrs Blythe started "How…" she started to ask._

 _"I may have a way." She said quietly. "I'll let you know what I think."_

 _"Bertha," Gilbert smiled finding her at breakfast the next morning. "How are you this morning?" he asked her with a smile._

 _"Very well Gilbert, thank you." She smiled as he sat down._

 _"Anne is taking a bath, the last few days have been strenuous on her, physically and emotionally."_

 _Bertha smiled. "Yes, your mother was exhausted after the travel yesterday and then trailing round Kingsport looking for you." She smiled. "But it does give us time to discuss a few things."_

 _"If you're worried about Anne's education let me assure you…" he started._

 _"No,no, that's not what I wanted to discuss." She paused. "Well not directly." She smiled for a moment. "Walter was very careful with money Gilbert, did you know that? The house and field are both ours, well was his, by law." She sighed. "and in the event of his compromise he didn't want to see us out of home and in the workhouses."_

 _Gilbert sighed. "That was some forward thinking." He acknowledged._

 _"Yes it was." She admitted. "the law doesn't permit me to own the property, it did however in the contract Walter have written up allow it to be put into my care until any son became of age or any daughter married."_

 _"Oh?" Gilbert asked confused. "So its Anne's?" he asked her._

 _Bertha smiled. "A married women owning property?" Bertha said with a smile. "No Gilbert, it would go to her husband, to you."_

 _He looked to her in shock. "Automatically?!"_

 _She nodded "Now it is up to you of course what you would like to do with the land…" she trailed._

 _"Its your home, Its yours!" he exclaimed quickly._

 _Bertha smiled. "I was hoping you would say that." She looked to him. "But, may I make a suggestion?" She asked him._

 _"Of course." He agreed._

 _"In light of your current situation with Anne, it might be beneficial for me to come with you and Anne to Kingsport, I'm a teacher by trade with the year and a half behind me, I should be able to find a decent wage. In the meantime we rent to whoever becomes teacher at Avonlea school at the going rate, term time only, giving us a smaller but no doubt essential income."_

 _Gilbert looked to her in amazement with a wide smile forming. "That could work." He said quietly._

 _"Yes." She smiled. "I like to think so." She sighed. "Don't think this is a get out of free card, any scholarships or aid for school would be a huge help, and I want you both to work hard, Anne could even write from home, or even raise any babies which come along, though I doubt any school would allow her to teach."_

 _Gilbert nodded. "I know, it wasn't what she wanted to do but even she admitted she could have made a neat amount." He smiled. "But she wants to write, I think she could be a great writer one day." He admitted._

 _Bertha smiled. "A tiny bit of favouritism there?" she asked him._

 _He shrugged "Maybe." He admitted "a bit."_

 _She smiled. "So what do you think?" She asked him._

 _"Yes!" Gilbert said enthusiastically. "Bertha thank you!" he said with a smile._

 _"We need to find somewhere to live, did you give your deposit for your boarding yet?" she asked him._

 _"No, that was something I had planned on doing while I was here, its still a month until school starts." He admitted._

 _"Good, so we have yours and Anne's deposit for the year." She gave him a sheet of paper "Here are the figures." She told him. "I need you here, find somewhere to stay a tiny little place will do for the three of us, so anything not too bad. Get Anne to find places which need a teacher and get her to apply for me, we'll all need to work together, hack in do housework, but it can be done. I need to go back to the Island and get all this set into place. I believe anyone I go to will need your signature for anything I ask them to do with regards to the house."_

 _"Of course!" He said. "Anything!"_

 _She smiled as the two Mrs Blythe's came into the room. "Good." She said. "Maybe I can leave you to explain it all to Anne."_

 _"Bertha." He said as she stood. She looked to him kindly. "Thank you."_

 _She smiled. "Every moment you have love, you should cherish it." She said she held his face with her hand "and don't let her go for anyone or anything." She told him._

 _"Don't worry," he said to her quietly. "I won't."_

"I… was just concerned." Mrs Blythe smiled to Bertha. Like any mother should be.


	5. What is to come?

The next couple of chapters are a bit different, we stay in one time frame or the other, no swapping, this Anne and Gilbert after Gilbert has graduated.

* * *

 _ **F**_

Anne looked out from the historic rocks which were surrounding her. The lush green grass reminded her of home, but this was a history, even she thought was extraordinary.

The Abbey was founded in 1238. She smiled as she looked around it. 'So this is what Jane Austen had been describing in Northern Abbey' she smiled as she had remembered Jane had visited there and had drawn inspiration from the place. 'Yes' Anne agreed in her mind. 'I can see how it would be very inspiring.'

She sat at a nearby table and brought out a note book, bit her bottom lip and smiled.

 _Cordelia quivered at the mere sight of the walls around her. Anciently they stood in strength. She thought she could hear them whisper to each other the secrets of the past. Oh the history these walls knew! If only she could convince the walls that their secrets would be safe, perhaps they could share their secrets with her. This chilled Cordelia further at the thought of the walls whispering behind her back. Knowing her secrets, whispers of what they knew and what they would tell. Her secrets and her past._

Anne grinned as she continued her gothic inspired tale.

Gilbert was at the nearby military hospital for his interview, she wasn't even a half an hour walk away, she couldn't believe in this idyllic countryside anyone would have any thoughts of war. But the positioning of the hospital made sense, they were close to Southampton and to the docks, they could bring men home fix them up and go back out again without much problem. It was Anne who would get to explore the place a bit, not Gilbert who went to the interview, but then he would meet her here anyway. She should have been more surprised when ten sheets of paper later Gilbert gave her a kiss atop of her head putting his hand on her shoulder.

"I knew I would find you some place beautiful." He said with a grin to her as he moved round and sat opposite her with a grin to his face.

"I found it inspirational!" She said with a dazey smile to her face.

"Evidently!" Gilbert grinned looking briefly at one of the papers. "Ah! Cordelia!" he said with a fond smile. "Do you remember? I must have been about nine, you demanded everyone called you Cordelia for about a month.!" He said with a smile..

"It's a perfectly elegant name. What's wrong with wanting to be called it?" she asked.

"Everything, when your name is prettier." He said with a grin to her.

"Are you charming me Gilbert Blythe?" She asked him looking up at him with a coy smile.

"You bet I am!" he said his lopsided grin smiling.

"It'll get you everywhere!" She flirted.

"I hope so!" he exclaimed reaching over the table and kissing her briefly on the lips.

"Must be something in the British air." Anne smiled. "I hope you won't be like this if we come and live here." She smiled. "How did the interview go?" She asked him.

"Oh, so-so." He admitted. "Well, it went well I suppose." He added. "They offered me the job on the spot."

"Gilbert!" She exclaimed. "That's wonderful!" she looked to his face. "Why Gil, why aren't you over the moon?"

"I should be, shouldn't I? I promised them an answer by the end of the week and I was walking away thinking, why didn't I just take it?" he sighed.

"Any insights yet?" she asked.

Gilbert sighed. "The army itself is incredible Anne, the captain who interviewed me was a good chap and I liked him, but… when he finished with the questions I was expecting, he asked me what my opinion was on the 'women's liberation'." He started to explained.

 _"oh." Gilbert said confused. "I… well I'm afraid I don't see the link…" Gilbert said._

 _"You see, its not the military's positions to have an opinion on such things, men will be men you understand but opinion vary and change from man to man." The Captain had said. "Its just Almroth Wright, does have very strong opinions on the matter and if yours doesn't agree with his, I think for your own happiness you should consider not joining the team."_

 _"Oh?" Gilbert had asked before the man himself burst in the room._

 _"Whose this?" he said sharply looking to Gilbert._

 _"Oh I'm Gilbert Blythe, pleased to meet you." He said politely._

 _"An American?" Almroth had said. "I told you to find me intelligence, you'll never find this kind in a yank." He said._

 _"Actually, I'm Canadian." Gilbert interrupted._

 _"Oh a Canadian…" he said with a chuckle. "Then that makes it all better then doesn't it, you Yank."_

 _"Doctor Blythe came top of his class from one of the top medical schools in Canada." The captain had started._

 _"He looked too young to be a doctor!" he continued._

 _"He's only a year younger than you." The captain had defended._

 _"So he won't keep up."_

 _"He's the best." The captain said before Almroth walked out and shut the door in a slam._

 _"Sorry, he's a genius and everything." The captain started "but a bit temperamental."_

 _"Well, from what I heard it would be an honour to be able to work on his team, Typhoid killed my father in law, I'd…." he faltered for a moment. "I'd like to be able to work in his honour."_

 _"He thinks because women have smaller brains they aren't as intelligent as a man and shouldn't get the vote." The captain said._

"I was really taken aback Nan." He said honestly. "Could I work with a man like that? when I know the very opposite is true, I mean not about the size of the brain but the capability. You know I don't agree with it." He sighed. "My best friend, my whole life has been a woman, I never thought…." He trailed. "Not even for a second."

Anne smiled sweetly at him, "not everyone has a relationship like ours Gilbert." She said softly. "And anyway, didn't you stop me from playing football with you boys in case I got hurt."

"That's chivalry, not blatant sexism." He looked to his knees. "And anyway, that day I…" he trailed, "… it broke my heart not to…" he started but Anne put her hand on top of his.

"I know sweetheart, don't fret I was only teasing." She said with a smile to him. She looked to Gilbert. "You know, if you are so unsure that this job would secure your happiness, why don't you think on the alternatives. Papa, would be proud you know." She told him sweetly. "No matter what, papa would be proud."

Gilbert looked into his wife's eyes and kissed the back of her hand gently. "I'm so lucky I married you Nan." He said softly.


	6. Find our place

**_P_**

"Really, anything will do, two bedroom, four walls will do." Gilbert assured the housing officer at the fourth 'student accommodation' specialists he had been given as a list from the university.

"Most people don't leave it this late." The officer admitted. "And you'd be looking at moving in right away?"

"Yes sir, though only two of us would be students, the other will hopefully be teaching." Gilbert said quietly.

"Hm, you're lucky if you ask me, it's what you ask for," he said, "not much else and not very pretty."

Gilbert smiled gently. "Oh that doesn't matter."

"Upkeep of the apartment would be up to you, paint, shelves anything like that, and any improvements you would make would be to the landlord's advantage." He said simply. "However, as I understand it the Landlord in this case has little interest in the property, Money will be due, last Friday in every month by 5pm,here, do you understand?"

"Yes, absolutely." Gilbert agreed. "Thank you so much!" Gilbert smiled.

Anne opened the door to the hotel room which Mrs John Blythe had paid for another two nights for them before she had returned to the island with Bertha.

"My feet are aching from the walking!" Anne exclaimed as she landed on the bed with a quiet 'thump'. "I can't believe how many schools there are and just how understaffed they are!" Anne exclaimed her head not coming up from the bed. "It leaves you to question the education system. Two orphanages needed at least one teacher, there's a school on the rough side of town which needs a teacher but mother is too kind for such a place, the ladies college is looking and four schools!" she exclaimed.

Gilbert smiled gently took off her boots and reached up her leg finding the end of her pop socks and pulled them down her leg then took her foot and started to rub it.

"oooooooooohhhhhhhhh!" Anne exclaimed from the mattress, "Oh Gil, you sweetheart!" She exclaimed. She turned over and looked down the bed to him.

"I only dreamed of doing this…So many times… and it seems" he said with a shake of the head. "…a lifetime ago." He said softly. "I love you Nan." He told her.

"I love you too." She said with a smile on her face.

"I found a base for us." He said with a smile. Anne smiled and sat up a little her feet still being rubbed. "It's right off campus where some of the old houses aren't so kept up well." He admitted. "But the letting agent said we could do improvements without the landlord's permission, apparently he keeps the entire property for tax purposes but has divided it into smaller holdings for more profit."

"Did you see it today?" She asked him.

He nodded, "The property itself is so so, and although it is a little run down the area is good enough, clean and tidy you know. And the prettiness of the place doesn't matter, I have the Shirley Girls on my side, prettiness will be found and comfort made." He said matter-of-factly.

"I'm not a Shirley girl!" Anne said with a false mock. "I'm a Blythe girl!" she exclaimed.

Gilbert laughed merrily. "You know I keep forgetting." He said with a shrug. "I guess, being this close to you is just so natural…" he said with a smirk.

"I never let you touch my feet!" She said with a giggle.

"I suppose wrapping up in each other's arms for hours at a time was just a 'friendship' but touching each other's feet might lead to other things." Gilbert said in a dry voice.

"Oh really?" Anne said innocently. "Like what?"

Gilbert smiled widely. "Are you flirting with me?" he asked her.

"You bet I am!" she exclaimed.

"it'll get you everywhere!" he flirting bringing his hand up onto her calf.

"I hope so!" she exclaimed.

With that exclamation, his hand travelled up her skirt playfully as she squealed in delight!

* * *

"So?" Gilbert asked her the day after next as they went to their small apartment. Anne looked round the small space.

"You weren't kidding about it being small." She said with a smile. "But the bedrooms are more than sufficient, quite large really."

"The window is full east, the agent said it like it was a bad thing but…."

"Natures clock." She smiled. "Oh I always wanted to wake to the sun rising in the morning!" She exclaimed.

"I know." He said with a smile.

"Oh and we can have a desk over here." She said pointing to a small corner, "And a sofa by the fireplace…."

"To read by firelight." He finished.

"The kitchen is small." She agreed looking to the sink, drying board and single unit, "And the pantry is even smaller than the one at home." She said. "But…" she trailed. "It could work." She said with a smile to him.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Yes." She agreed with a blush.

He took her in his arms and kissed her gently. "I wish…" he whispered. "I wish we could christen it properly." He flirted to which she smiled and leaned in further.

"Well we'll just have to do the best we can." She said with a wry smile to him. "Under the circumstances." She flirted before he kissed her deeply right there in the small sitting area. Anne came out for air a few minutes later, "Gil?" She asked him. "Shouldn't you be picking up mamma from the ferry port?" she asked him.

"Hm? What?" he asked clearly still very much in the moment. "oh, no!" he exclaimed. "your mother!" he said pulling her along by the hand and rushing out the door.

* * *

"Bertha!" He called as they came to the port.

"Mamma!" Anne called after through the crowds of people.

The sound of the duo's voices made Bertha's head turn. "Anne, Gilbert!" She smiled as she called as they all found each other. "I was beginning to think you'd decided to strand me." She said with a smile.

Gilbert's arms were soon around her smiling "never!" he whispered.

"Glad to hear it." Bertha smiled. "Hello baby girl." She smiled at Anne kissing her briefly. "How did it go?" She asked them.

"We have some place small and very thinly furnished." Gilbert told her. "Bed and a table and chairs and an old sofa.

"It's cozy." Anne said with a smile to her mother. "we can make it homey."

"Wool?" Bertha asked her. "Cloth?" she asked.

"Oh yes and the really pretty kind, and some flowers." Anne said to her as they walked out of the port station.

"How did the board take it?" Gilbert asked concerned.

"They thought it was a shame to let me go." She admitted. "But they had a stack of applications and they said they were more than happy to offer the house as accommodation for the new teacher. Our rooms upstairs are locked but the guest room is ample room." She said. "They said they would have the name in less than a week. They thought the rent was very reasonable, I do need your signature on a few things."

"Consider it done." He said without hesitation.


	7. I know him so well

_**F**_

Anne came from behind him and wrapped her arms around him as she snuggled into his back. "I thought you might have come down here." She whispered.

"Nan," he whispered. "Love its early you shouldn't be up yet." He said softly.

"Early? It's almost nine." She informed him, it seemed to neither surprise him nor underwhelm him.

"I didn't notice the hours going by." He said.

"How long have you been down here." She asked him.

"I dunno." He told her. "I stopped trying to sleep at about 4."

Anne turned him round and looked at him. "Gil, tell me what's worrying you so much?" She asked him.

"I don't know, just thinking I suppose." He said to her. "I'm just thinking, the children, will it be fair to take them away from your mother now? And what about school? I mean the educational structures maybe different, and England is just so far away from the island!"

Anne smiled. "You're thinking of the negative aspects Gil, are you thinking of saying yes?"

"I don't know if its what I want to do Nan, even if its for a little while but it seems so selfish to be dragging my family half way round the world for it."

"Research like this isn't being done anywhere in Canada Gil, you know this, you've looked into it." Anne counterargued with him.

"Then, why can I not justify it?" he said frustrated with himself.

Anne sighed. "There's something else?" She said to him.

Gilbert sighed. "That man Nan!" he exclaimed. "That horrible man." He paused before continuing, "I'm almost certain this is the place to be if I want to help find the cure for Typhiod, if you saw the research lab, if you saw some of the work being done there… you'd know why I think it."

Anne looked at him over his shoulder, "Why do you think you need to do this?" She asked him.

"That's a rather specific question." He said peering over his shoulder at her and he chuckled. "I keep forgetting I can't keep anything from you." He said with a grin and a kiss to her. "I need to do this, for your pap."

Anne looked at him and studied his face. "It won't bring him back Gil."

He looked at her his eyes darkened in sadness. "I'd do anything to bring him back for you." He whispered.

Anne smiled with a melting feeling in her heart. "Gil." She whispered.

"It's not fair, your pap, he was everything he was supposed to be, he was gentle and kind and your father, you lost him you were only sixteen! Sixteen Anne, that's no age at all to be losing your father." He sighed. "And think on it, everyone, everywhere being stuck down with this without warning, Anne, when we could cure it! No one would have to experience the loss you did!"

Anne sighed and looked at Gilbert who had stood up in the sand and was standing in front of her. She soon stood in front of him and wrapped her arms around him. "You know my love, even if there was a cure for it, there will always be sickness in the world, always something which could hit us at any time." She whispered. "My papa, he lived and he was loved and he loved." Anne said softly. "He lived well." She kissed him gently. "and he would be proud of you, Gilbert Blythe."

"It wouldn't disappoint him, to know I wasn't researching what killed him?" Gilbert asked.

"My father?" She asked him. "Disappointed?" She asked him. "In you?"

"Yes in me." He replied as if disappointed in himself.

"The only way my father would ever be disappointed is if you didn't live your dream." She said softly to him. "What is that dream Gilbert?" She whispered.

"I want to be a doctor. A doctor Doctor, a one who helps people a one who heals. I want to give back to this world, I thought by researching this… that…" he trailed.

"Do you suppose that being a Doctor in a community will mean less to the person you save? And what if, what if that person is bound for something great and you were the only person who could save them, but you weren't there because you were trying to be something you aren't." she looked at him. "To thine own self be true and it must follow as night the day thou canst not then be…"

"false to any man." He finished for her.

She nodded. "Come back to bed love, you need to sleep." She offered him. She took him by the hand and back to the hotel room, she lay him on the bed and let him cuddle into her, fingers playing in his hair. "You know we're out here for the rest of the week before we have to get on that boat. Take it to think Gilbert." She told him before she whispered sweet nothings in his ear until he fell asleep.

She knew what he wanted to do, though she thought he might never admit it, not at least without a few prompts. She smiled then slowly and gently slipped out of bed. She needed to find a way of getting a few things.

* * *

She came back in as quietly as she could although it wasn't quiet enough. "Nan?" she heard him call.

"Hey handsome." She said with a smile to him with her bags in hand.

"What's in the bags?" He asked sleepily.

"Oh, well I have something to tell you." She said with a smile.

"Oh?" he asked her. "Are you?" he asked her sitting up suddenly. "Can you tell this soon?" he asked her. "Are you getting symptoms already, which ones? Have you had morning sickness?"

She giggled before she said "I don't know yet." She told him truthful, "we need to wait and see on that front." She said to him. "Although…" She continued, "It might be for the best if I'm not, considering my change in plans." She said matter of factly reaching into one of the bags.

"Oh?" He asked her looking puzzled. He wasn't sure where she was going with this yet.

At which she pulled out a stethoscope and proclaimed "I'm going to become a doctor!"

Gilbert's lips turned to a grin. "A Doctor?" he asked her.

"Why yes." She said her nose turning up "don't you think I can be a doctor?" she asked him.

"Well yes, of course you could." He admitted.

"Good, now, how should I use this thing?" She said, pulling out a stethoscope putting the earpieces in her ears plopping herself next to Gilbert. He laughed as she pulled up his shirt playful and pressed the stethoscope to his chest."

"Argh!" he protested. "Cold, cold!" He exclaimed as he laughed.

"Oh sorry." She told him before she breathed on it to warm it up then placed it on his heart. "My Gilbert, your heart is beating fast." She told him.

He grinned "it always does around you." He told her playfully.

"Oh?" She flirted before she reached down him with her free hand and heard his heart rate increase more through the stethoscope, where upon she giggled. "Well I have a diagnosis." She said very business like. "You have heart palpitations."

"Heart palpitations?" He questioned.

"Oh Yes." She replied straining a smile. "I read about them in your medical journal last month you have the classic symptoms." She said her mouth trying not to grin.

"Nan, is it not far more likely that I'm attracted to my wife and that's why my heart rate increase?" he asked her.

"You mean, I have to make the right diagnoses?" she asked him.

"Of course, you do!" he laughed. "You have to know what it is you are looking for."

"Oh." She sighed. "So you have to be trained to know what you're looking for?"

"Yesss." He trailed

"So, not just anyone can be a doctor?" she questioned.

"No of course…." He trailed realising what it was that she was doing. "But then you already know that." He said to her teasingly lifting a squealing Anne over him and lying her on the bed next to him. He plopped her on the bed and started tickling her as he did in in olden times. She giggled in delight before he stopped and he kissed her gently.

"I want you to know that Gilbert, you have trained and worked hard to become a doctor, I don't want you thinking just anyone could be you and do whatever it is you were destine to do." She kissed him lightly before she put the stethoscope round his neck. "And I want you to know, that I know you will become the best kind of Doctor, you were meant to be." He put the stethoscope to one side and kissed Anne into the bed. They remained tangled in each other on the bed kissing for a good half an hour before Gilbert lay back into the bed himself Anne snuggled into his chest as he put his arms around her. "There's more things in that bag over there." Anne said quietly. "If you're interested. I thought they might help you make your decision."

He smiled then kissed her again before he held her tight to him and reached into the bad.

He pulled out in amazement a Reflex hammer, an otoscope, an ophthalmoscope and a Thermometer. Then finally (which Is what was making the bag Anne was carrying so big) a leather-bound doctors bag. He sighed with a tear in his eye and looked at Anne.

"How is it you know what it is that I want before I do?" he whispered.

Anne smiled and bit her lip. "Because I have known you and loved you all my life." She whispered.

His mouth twisted into a smile as he put the items to one side then pinned Anne to the bed and whispered gently "well now I know you don't really want to be a doctor, how about we make the other thing a dead certainty." He said with a grin.


	8. When you're husband and wife

**_P_**

"Why?!" Anne asked exasperated, "You didn't ask for my father's permission when I enrolled two years ago, it was a given that he consented."

"Mrs Blythe…" the student only years older than herself started.

"Don't Mrs Blythe me!" she said with her eyes turning green. "I want you to get the dean out here now and get him to explain to me why my husband's permission is needed."

"Nan?" she heard from behind her, it was in fact Gilbert who was pushing through some angry looking crowds. He apologised as he went with various forms of 'excuse me', 'pardon me' and 'sorrys'. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Anne took a heavy sigh "I need your permission to enrol!" Anne told him.

"What?" Gilbert asked. "Why? You've been here two years already."

"Because this nit wit tells me it's so!" Anne said in a practical shout as Gilbert read the papers which were pushed into his hands.

His eyes scanned the document. "This is ridiculous!" he said confused. "You don't need my permission, is this a legally binding document?" he asked the student.

"Well… I… I… I don't know I was just told to…."

"Well why don't you go and find out for me?" he asked of the student.

"But…" he started.

"Or I could stay here and let you debate the situation with my wife?" Gilbert suggested.

The boy looked to Anne (whose arms crossed in front of her defensively) then Gilbert quickly before he muttered. "I'll be right back." He said shuffling off.

Gilbert's bottom lip protruded and turned to his wife hugging her into his side. "Seems as though he did have a little bit of common sense." He whispered with a smile to her.

It was a couple of minutes later the Dean came out. "Anne." He said with a smile to her. "I remember you top of your class both years, active in several social groups…" he said leading them both down the corridor into a classroom.

"Then why does my husband need to approve my enrollment?" she asked.

"Its simply to keep everything above board, its just a formality, to say there is no dispute, you know as well as I do how women are dropping out of college…"

"I'm not surprised if they are interrogated on return." Anne muttered.

"…that is, their husband might not want them to finish their educations, some men like dumb women." He said with a hint of contempt in his voice, "as many have done before hand." He took a sigh "They might dispute Anne, they might say you can't have your degree even if you complete the modules, I don't want that for any of my students, I want the proof there so there can be no dispute.."

"I'll sign it." Gilbert said suddenly.

"What?!" Anne asked shock.

"On one condition." He continued.

"Oh?" The Dean asked him.

"Get another one of these forms cross out wife and put husband, put my name in there. Then, Anne can sign it to give her permission for me to start college, then and only then will I sign this." he said with a look to Anne, whose face was gradually turning to a smile. "If she needs my permission to get a degree then I need hers." He said with a grin, "Afterall, it'll affect her more, right?" he asked, "the bread winner, not winning the bread, her having to work in my stead once she's finished her degree, no doubt in a job beneath her for the very same reason you have just given for me having to sign this piece of paper."

The dean smiled widely. "Of course." He said he turned towards the door "I'll just get another form." He said as he left the room.

Anne looked up at Gilbert with a smile "So typically you Gilbert Blythe."

Gilbert took a deep breath. "I have in my hands the power to control two women's lives." He said with a weight in his voice. "where I have no wish to control anyone." He shook his head and smiled "its about time men share that power, your mother needs my permission to do things with her own land, you need my permission for college, I can't do anything about the first, I can about the latter."

Anne threw herself into his arms "You're something else Gilbert Blythe."

"As are you too Anne Blythe." He said with a smile.

"It must be in the name." She flirted.

"Are you flirting with me?" he asked her.

"You bet I am!" she blushed with a kiss on his lips for him before they heard the click of the door behind them where they backed off from each other.

Both papers signed they left the room. The Dean spoke quietly to Anne. "You have quite the husband there Anne."

Anne grinned widely "Don't I know it."

* * *

The night was coming in on them Anne and Gilbert drew the covers over their heads and giggled together under the sheets.

"You know we aren't children anymore Anne." He said gently. "we don't need to hide under the bedcovers anymore."

"Do you remember, what we promised that night, under the bed sheets?" she asked him.

He grinned, "when we're under bedsheets, its just us, no one else, nothing between us." He said with a grinned to a stunned wife. "I remember everything about us Nan."

She sighed. "I can't believe you made them give papers for you too." She grinned.

"He didn't give me much of a choice." He said quietly. "Besides, I get to leave him behind in a classroom looking stunned, I have to come home and share a bed with you." A mock look of indignation flashed across Anne's face as she play pulled away and Gilbert's grip around her waist tightened. "…or rather I'd be sleeping on the sofa out there." He laughed as she cried out in joy at his excitement.

"Try the door step." She laughed. "But then, I would never need to do that now would I?" she smiled.

He sighed and looked into her eyes. "I grew up with you, I never considered you a lesser creature then me." He said truthfully. "You were my best friend. Always." He whispered.

Anne looked wide eyed at him, "Even all those times I wasn't speaking to you."

"Especially when you weren't speaking to me." He grinned.

She blushed. "Awww." She whispered and kissed him gently on the lips. "I love you Gilbert Blythe."

"Glad to hear it." He whispered back and kissed her again. "I love you too."

The covered slipped back over their heads them coming back out. They pulled back and hugged on the bed.

"Anne?" he said quietly as the snuggled closely.

"Yeah?" she asked him.

"I think today, there may have been a girl, interested in me." He said quietly.

"Oh?!" she asked.

"Um." He said quietly. "Charlie said a girl was asking about me."

"Did you catch a name for this girl?" she asked him quietly feeling quite jealous.

"No." He admitted. "But Charlie did point her out to me." He told her. "Brown hair, crooked smile, big eyes, though I wasn't close enough to figure out a colour."

"Good man." She said with a grin.

"Charlie said he overheard her talking about all the pretty boys and they were pointing towards me, he was too far out of the conversation to tell her I was taken."

"Your type?" she asked.

Gilbert's brow frowned. "Well I tend to go for the red hair, greeny grey eyes porcelain skin tons of brains type myself…" he said with a kiss in her hair and a giggle from her "…but each man to their own." He sighed. "I'd need to get to know her better before really making an informed choice you know I need people who are bursting with personalities." He said with a grin.

"and there are just so many Anne's in me…" she smiled.

"I know you aren't being serious but its true Nan." You are something exceptional." He whispered.

Anne bit into her bottom lip and grinned, "You're not too bad yourself Gilbert Blythe." She whispered flirty.

"Are you flirting with me?" he asked her

"You bet I am." She laughed and kissed him gently again. "I love you."

He grinned down at her his smile lopsided in a boyish grin. "I love you too Nan."

* * *

Anne was walking through the cemetery the next day looking at the headstones, for anything which might encourage a story. It had been a long time since she had written any stories, they had soon stopped flowing once she had met Roy. She had honestly believed she would never write again, but now the events of the last week or so had unfolded, she felt more herself then she ever had done before and she had arranged to meet with Gilbert after his lecture at one side of the cemetery

'A thousand years begins and ends with you'

'Once met, never forgotton'

'Uncompromisingly unique'

'Devoted in love'

'Adored'

'Love is waiting'

'And the beauty of the soul is revealed.'

She had found a bench in one corner and had decided to take rest there. She decided there would be a number of short stories. Each epitaph inspiring a different one. She bit her bottom lip and started on the first. Barely a paragraph in and someone was standing in her light.

"I knew you'd take my fancy when I saw you jumping around headstone to headstone, but I've never known a woman to simply stop before." The girl said. "I see your colours." She said referring to Anne's scarf. "You were quick off the mark buying school merchandise."

"Not really." Anne said with a smile. "I'm just starting my junior year. I bought this last year." She admitted.

"You can't be old enough to have been here two years already, you must have started when you were…." She trailed.

"Sixteen." Anne confirmed. "I won a scholarship."

The girl sat beside Anne. "Well that just makes me feel dull." She admitted. "Papa sent me here because I couldn't decide who to marry. I came here to decide who to marry." She said. Anne frowned at her for a moment. "Oh, but please don't think me completely shallow. I do have heaps of brains I just never know how to use them. I'm not making the best first impression, am I?" she moaned. "Let's start again. I'm Philippa Gordon." She said. "Although my friends call me Phil, call me Phil won't you?"

Anne smiled. Despite herself she had taken a liking to Phil. There was something deeper then she was immediately letting on and something about her openness was pleasing "Pleased to meet you Phil. I'm Anne Shirl… Blythe." She corrected herself. "Anne Blythe." She said with a smile.

"Well hello Anne Blythe. I'm glad to meet you." Phil said. "Are you seriously starting on school work already?" she asked her looking at her papers. "we haven't even started classes."

Anne laughed. "No." she admitted. "These are of a more personal nature, I want to be a writer. I came here to get inspired."

"Odd place to get inspired!" Phil said surprised.

"No," Anne admitted, "not really." She said with a dreamy gaze "So much have gone before us, I like to think there is something said about their core selves on a tombstone and there is a story to everyone's core.

Phil smiled. "You are about as interesting as you look Anne Blythe."

The two girls sat and chatted, apparently longer then Anne thought as another figure interrupted them by again blocking her light. "I should have known you would find a kindred Anne." He said with a grin. "Am I that quickly dispensable that you forget all about me with a new face?" he teased.

"Of course, not dearest." She said jumping up and kissing him on the cheek. "How was your taster lecture?" She asked him.

"Oh not so bad." He admitted. "The science labs are brand new here, did you know they only just refurbished them last year?" he asked her finally noticing her company. "Oh um Anne?" he continued.

"Oh, Gil, this is Philippa Gordon, Phil I'd like you to meet my husband Gilbert Blythe." She said with a wide smile.

"Married?!" Phil gasped in shock, but she quickly recovered. "I should have known all the good ones are taken." She said with a grin to Anne. Anne looked up at Gilbert then down to Phil. "I spotted your husband yesterday at registration." She admitted. "I thought he was handsome." Phil said clearly disappointed.

Anne looked to Gilbert. "Is this the girl you mentioned?" she asked him.

"Oh you knew?!" Phil asked abhorred.

"My friend Charlie overheard your conversation." He said quietly.

Phil's brow knitted, "The one with the goggle eyes?" she asked Gilbert.

Gilbert grinned, "that's him." He said, "He also has an equally a big a mouth." Gilbert looked down to Anne "except news of our marriage to have reached the island by now." He said with a grin.

"Oh? your marriage is recent?" Philippa asked.

"Just this summer, well twenty-one days ago." Anne said with a blush to her husband. "we eloped." She admitted to which Philippa's eyebrows played. "long story."

"Interesting." Philippa said with a grin. "I think I'm liking you two more and more." She turned to Gilbert. "I'm sorry if I made it awkward for you, I didn't mean to…"

Gilbert shook his head "You don't need to apologise." He said with a smile. "Well maybe not to me." He said with a look to Anne.

Phil looked horrified before Anne smiled, "I'll admit, I felt jealous yesterday when Gil told me, how dare someone else take a fancy to my husband!" she said with a grin before she took Phil's hand. "But he is a handsome man, isn't he?" she asked her with a grin pulling her off the bench.

Phil embraced Anne with a laugh then turned into the walk with Anne linking arms with her, "So tell me this long story of elopement!?"


	9. finding out about you

_**F**_

It was much later in the week when Gilbert had walked back to the military hospital. He'd asked to see the captain again. The man smiled upon entrance to the room but the smile soon faded as he sat down and looked at Gilbert.

"Is there anything I can do to persuade you to stay?" He asked Gilbert.

Gilbert smiled. "I've not said anything yet," Gilbert remarked. "How could you know I'm here to say no?" He asked.

"I know the compromises you would need to make in order to take the job, I could tell by the way your face fell when you met him…" he trailed.

Gilbert took the opportunity to smile "He doesn't like women, he doesn't like 'American's', neither one of them are insulative under normal circumstances."

The captain laughed. "No, no indeed they are not, but it is a shame the answer is no. I think he's just hindered his own progress." He told Gilbert.

"That's very kind of you to say." Gilbert said honestly.

"So when are you due to go back home?" The Captain asked.

"We leave tomorrow morning. I… I can't wait to get home to see my babies, by the time we get back it would have been three weeks…" he laughed. "It's a _long_ time."

"Good luck, Doctor Blythe. I expect to hear great things from you."

* * *

"How did it go?" Anne asked him as he took her by the arm and walked with her.

Gilbert smiled and held her a little closer. "I think I made the right decision." He said with a look to her. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Gilbert spoke again. "Nan?" he said.

"Yes?"

"Lets go home."

* * *

"Are you feeling any better love?" he asked her as she returned from the bathroom for the fourth time that day.

"Oh, this ship is on rough waters!" she exclaimed snuggling into his chest.

"Its true, the weather is not on our side." He told her gently. "Its not going to be as plain sailing as it was on the way here." He said holding her close again. "we're at least in the best place, they make these rooms as comfortable as possible."

"Urgh." She cried into him.

"Its okay, we can stay in here Anne." He told her. "No one will want to socialise outside anyway." He said logically. "I can go and get us some food, I'm sure they'd understand since you are feeling so unwell." He took a breath and kissed to her hair, "You know, it might not just be the rough crossing." He whispered.

She peered up at him. "I did think that." She whispered with a tiny smile appearing on her lips momentarily.

"when you're feeling well enough." He whispered gently. "I could check." He whispered.

"Not right now." She whispered. "Just hold me right now." She said to him with a kiss to his shirt covered chest.

He smiled fondly down at her kissing into her hair again pulling it back off her face.

"Hey Nan wouldn't it be funny if you got pregnant the night of my graduation from medical school, three graduation babies." He whispered.

Anne chuckled for a moment "not many people can say that!" she exclaimed quietly.

"No." Gilbert said lying own with his wife. "You're safe in my arms Nan, go to sleep love."

She breathed out a sigh which sounded like it might have been a chuckle if she was better. "I love it when you call me that."

"Good, we have so many more years to tell each other it Nan, I won't ever stop." He whispered. "Ever."

""yeah?" She asked.

"yeah." he agreed.

"no matter what?" She asked slipping into a comfortable sleep.

"no matter what." He agreed whispering into her ear gently, stroking her up and down her back until she fell asleep.

He smiled at her sweetly remembering back to finding out about Joy.

 _Bertha has come in from her walk into Avonlea, it was the summer immediately after Anne's graduation, Bertha had come in to find Anne with every book from the bookshelf spalled around her Anne sitting crossed legged on the floor in the midst of the books looking thoughtfully at the bookshelf._

 _"_ _Hello sweetheart." Her mother said snapping her out of a gaze._

 _"_ _Hello ma." She said returning part of her attention to the bookcase._

 _"_ _Little late for a spring clean aren't we?" she asked her daughter._

 _Anne smiled. "Its never too late for a clean out mother, you taught me that." She sighed. "It's just we haven't had a proper clean in months." She said with a little sigh. "And you know we overload the bookshelf, maybe I should build another!" she exclaimed._

 _Bertha looked at her daughter for a moment then shook her head remembering it was Anne. "We could ask Gilbert to help you if you like."_

 _Anne rolled her eyes. "I can do it on my own you know ma, Gilbert and I used to always build things together." She said edgily to her mother._

 _"_ _I know that Anne…" she started._

 _"_ _Your newspaper rack at home…." Anne argued. "The treehouse… The rocking chair over there, the desk…"_

 _"_ _Anne you are arguing with yourself, I simply stated that Gilbert might like to join a project with his wife." She said as Gilbert came in through the door of the living room he kissed Anne atop of her head and wrapped an arm casually round Bertha kissing her on the head too._

 _"_ _Do we have any of that apple cake left, I'm starved!" he exclaimed._

 _"_ _In the pantry next to the bread." She informed him to which he immediately went to retrieve._

 _"_ _where were we?" she asked her daughter, "right bookshelves." She said shaking her head."you two always build very efficient things together…" she said turning her attention back to her daughter who looked half huffed._

 _"_ _Building?" Gilbert asked as he came back out of the kitchen with cake in hand. "What are we making this time?" he asked with a smile._

 _"_ _And why can I not do it on my own?!" Anne exclaimed. "I'm every bit as capable as he is." She said with an undeserving glare at Gilbert who had no idea what he'd done wrong._

 _"_ _Alright what are you building then?" he asked._

 _"_ _It's because I'm a woman, a little women girl who needs a man to do everything!" she shouted standing in the midst of the books._

 _"_ _When have I ever given you that impression Anne Shirley!" Bertha said her own temper fraying._

 _"_ _Don't call me that! I'm a married woman and have been for two years now, don't revert back to my maiden name to scold me!" she exclaimed._

 _"_ _You're not acting like married women you're acting like a child Anne, so maybe I should treat you like one!"_

 _She looked to Gilbert "Are you going to let her talk to me like that?" she asked him._

 _With his mouth full of cake he felt a little off guard, "Um…" he managed to mutter._

 _"_ _Fine!" Anne exclaimed stepping over the books and marching straight out of the room "be on her side!" he heard her yell then the door slam behind her._

 _Gilbert swallowed his cake and looked at Bertha wide eyed. "But, I don't even know what you were talking about!" he almost whined._

 _"_ _All I did was suggest you help her build a new bookcase." Bertha said quietly. "She was the one complaining we needed another one."_

 _Bertha sighed and looked over at the now sprawled books and empty bookshelf._

 _Gilbert took another bite of his cake wordlessly before Bertha eyed him suspiciously. "How long has it been since her graduation?" she asked him._

 _"_ _Oh… um…" he said calculating it, "well it was mid May."_

 _Bertha's head nodded. "Really, you don't say?" she said. "Has it been three months already?" she asked half hinting at which Gilbert seemed not to realise. She half laughed before she turned serious for a second. "Say Gilbert, do you and Anne still have in place that 'everything but' rule in place?" she asked him._

 _"_ _Oh." Gilbert said "Um yeah." He said quickly._

 _"_ _Broken it at all?" she probed._

 _"_ _What?!" he exclaimed his cheeks going red. "Bertha I…I…" He stuttered._

 _"_ _Anne is just acting a little out of character." She said quietly. "And I was just wondering was it possible if…" she trailed._

 _"_ _You think she might be pregnant?" he asked Bertha a look of awe spreading on his face._

 _"_ _I'm asking you if its possible?" She asked Gilbert._

 _Gilbert blushed remembering back to the night of graduation, they had both been a little tipsy, their tongues twining as close as their bodies._

 ** _"_ _Gil." She whispered._**

 ** _"_ _Yeah." He gasped._**

 ** _"_ _I want to re-consummate our marriage." She whispered rolling him on his back and laying on top of him. "Can we?" she asked him. "Just tonight?" she whispered._**

 ** _He bit his lip a moment trying to control the urge just to immediately say yes, then a grin spread across his face, "A graduation baby?" he flirted._**

 ** _"_ _We already proved once doesn't mean a baby." She whispered. "But if I did, wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, would it?" she asked pulling back and looking him in the eyes._**

 ** _"_ _You know I want babies with you Nan." He whispered with a smirk on his face. "Babies, like us, girls and boys playing side by side." He said with a smile. "Ones made out of you and me." He said with a gasp as she moved closer on top of him. "Anne, are you sure, I could get you…" He was cut off by her lips of his. "If you say so!" he blushed widely._**

 ** _"…_ _graduation night." He whispered._**

 _"_ _You mean she could be?" Bertha said with a smile. "I could be Grandma Shirley?"_

 _"_ _She said she wanted babies." He whispered._

 _"_ _That doesn't sound right, grandma Shirley, so formal!" she exclaimed._

 _"_ _I know they say it only takes once." He continued._

 _"_ _Granny…" she sounded. "No that makes me sound old."_

 _"_ _It didn't happen when we consummated it." He continued._

 _"_ _Mamar Shirley." She tried._

 _"_ _I guess it does just need once." He said and looked directly at Bertha._

 _"_ _That sounds ridiculous." She smiled then looked at him._

 _He grinned and kissed her atop of her head "Maybe I should go and talk Anne round to having an examination." He said with a grin before he went towards the door opened it then popped his head back round it gave her a cheeky smile "Nanny Bertha." He said then left the room._

 _He tapped on what was her bedroom door (now theirs) and opened it ajar and stood in the doorframe and looked into the bedroom._

 _She turned her head from the pillow and looked at him. "I didn't give you a chance to say anything down there." She said between her tears._

 _He grinned swaying at the frame then swung his foot into the room then walked slowly over to her sitting on the edge of the bed. "That's alright sweetheart." He said then teased "you were probably right anyway." He said with a shrug. She sat next to him and snugged into him. "So you're building some bookshelves?" he asked her._

 _"_ _Yeah." She whispered with tears still running down her face. "I was thinking of deciduous wood, I saw some in town when we came back from school." She whispered._

 _"_ _That's a good idea." He said with a smile. "Maybe we can go out to town and get some tomorrow?" he suggested._

 _"_ _yeah." She whispered. "Gil?" she said after a few seconds._

 _"_ _Yeah?" he asked._

 _"_ _Can you help?" she whimpered._

 _Gilbert did everything he could not to laugh holding it back as much as he could. "Sure." he said kissing into her hair stroking her gently. "You know we are very good at building things together." He said laying back on the bed Anne joining him there. "yeah, the tree house the rocking chair, oh can you remember that picnic table we built out by marley's hill?" he grinned._

 _"_ _I wonder if its still there." She said with a kiss on his jaw._

 _He shrugged. "We're good at making thing together." He whispered. "Though there is one project, although I was there at the beginning, I'm afraid to say I can't help you in the process."_

 _"_ _Oh?" she asked him sitting up in her lying position. "You've lost me."_

 _He took a sigh and looked to her. "Haven't you been wondering, since graduation, if it was possible, that you might have…" he swallowed and touched her tummy lightly smiling. "It is possible after all." He said._

 _She gasped. "But I've not been sick?" she questioned._

 _"_ _You were on the ferry over." He said._

 _She paused and looked wide eyed at him. "I'd be three months." She whispered her heart pounding. "Should we call the doctor?" she asked Gilbert her eyes lighting up._

 _He smiled with his eyes closed. "What a good idea." He said letting her slip beside him._

 _There was another sweet silence between them before and whispered "I don't think I should build those bookcases though, if I am."_

 _He grinned. "Probably for the best." He admitted, loving the feeling of Anne tucked in beside him._

 _"_ _I should probably go and say sorry to Ma." She admitted. "I may have been hormonal with her." She said sitting herself up and Gilbert closely following her._

 _"_ _I can help you put the books back on the bookshelf and we can call for the doctor to come today." He said with a grin to her. "Do a check over."_

 _"_ _It would explain one thing." Anne admitted._

 _"_ _Just one?" Gilbert said standing up then offering his hand to her as support. She glared at him as she stood "I had some trouble getting my corset to fit this morning." She said with a grin to him. "What if our baby is taking up all the room?" she beamed._

 _Anne had promptly apologised to her mother, the doctor had come confirming her pregnancy. Three months gone and had given an enthused Gilbert a pile of books to read up on, knowing his ambitions of being a doctor the books could help in his education and in preparing for fatherhood._

"Mama! Papa!" Joyce called as she ran towards them as they came off the ferry.

"Joy!" Gilbert said almost breaking into a run himself scooping up his child and holding her to him.

"Oh daddy!" she exclaimed. "I missed you _so_ much!" she exclaimed.

"I missed you too baby girl." He said with a grin to her.

"Oh daddy! I'm not a baby!" Joyce said a hint of exasperation in her voice.

"Maybe not." He said with a grin to her walking down to the platform with her. "But you'll always be my baby."

"And Walter?" she asked.

"Oh yes." Gilbert agreed, definitely, "all my babies." He said with a wink to Anne to which she smiled. "Now where is Nanny Bertha?" he asked her. "Or did she send you here to greet us?" He questioned his daughter.

"She's under the clock there." Joyce said pointing towards the clock. "She said she would stay right there and if I got lost to go back to it." Joy narrated.

"well that's a sensible plan…" Gilbert started as the crowds parted and the sight of Bertha came into view.

"Mama!" Anne cried throwing herself into her mothers arms.

"Oh Anne my baby!" she said kissing her daughter. "Oh I've missed you!" she cried. "Three weeks!" She exclaimed.

"I've missed you too mama." Anne said with a smile to her mother.

Bertha looked at her daughter properly. "Anne you look exhausted!"

"The crossing was rough." Gilbert explained. "Anne had a hard time with it, I don't blame her I didn't enjoy it myself, I just slept through it better."

"Oh?" Bertha questioned half wondering. "well, your feet are on soiled ground now, you can take the time to recover."

"Mama, Nanny Bertha has shown me how to crochet!" Joy exclaimed. "But she said you were so much better at it, can we play together, I want to make my own shawl!"

Anne smiled sleepy stroking her son on the head and kissing him then smiled at her daughter "I'd love to Joy." She told her.

"But lets give mammy some rest time too." Gilbert said with another kiss to her daughter.

"Oh, I don't know Gil." She said her eyes fluttering at Gilbert flirting for a moment "sometimes the sweetest sentiments can be made out of wool."


	10. Friday Night Shenanigans

Hello folks

I'm early again this week, no excuses I'm just early... and have my two babies on Easter holidays so day time uploading maybe problematic!

Thanks again for following and commenting...

Love

Carrots

* * *

 ** _P_**

"So you're telling me that a just because a man dedicates his life to God he shouldn't have a wife?!" Gilbert exclaimed to Charlie. The first official Friday night of the term came, Anne and Gilbert invited over a few friends over. Charlie, Moody, Priss and Phil sat comfortably together round the small fireplace. Gilbert and Anne had been quick in the first week to make a rocking chair for Bertha, the had presented it to her as the throne of the living room, said chair was occupied by Bertha who was making a mat smiling at the group conversation taking place.

"And you call yourself a Presbyterian?" Anne backed Gilbert up before Charlie really had the chance to speak.

"He would find a wife distracting!" Charlie exclaimed. "His concentration must be on his flock."

"What say you Moody?" Phil smiled at the look of distain on Anne and Gilbert's face and a wink to him "I bet you have an opinion on the matter?"

"I think any union should be take seriously, all things considered beforehand, these things should never be rushed into." There was a dead silence and a glance towards Gilbert and Anne by all in the room before Moody ended, "I didn't mean you two." He said quickly.

Anne took a week practiced sigh to control her temper as Gilbert spoke "We don't consider our union rushed." He said with a kiss to Anne's hair "It was years in the making." He said gently.

"That is was." Moody quickly agreed. "I was sure when Anne came to university when you ran off after her, you were going to tell her."

"I almost did." Gilbert said with a smile to Anne.

"Oh I love a failed love story!" Phil said with a cheeky grin. "What stopped you?"

"My papa." Anne said with a smile.

"So, the whole year previous Anne had been really very stand offish with me, everything was about school or about group activities it was never just the two of us the whole school year, I thought she just wasn't interested in being my friend anymore." Gilbert said with a grin.

"I thought he was in love with a girl back in Avonlea, I seriously thought it and I thought if you wanted to be with her having me being the kind of friend I was, wouldn't be extremely helpful."

"What made you think he was in love with her?" Phil asked.

"I found them kissing!" Anne exclaimed to which Phil gasped, "What else was I suppose to think?!"

"Its true, I was there." Moody said with a look towards Anne, of which he had always been fond of after the event.

"So I thought they were in love so I backed off."

"Well Moody told me, but it was seconds after Anne left for university." He said with a grin, "So I ran to my barn whipped out the horse and buggy." He smiled. "I followed them to the train station and borrowed Anne and told her I wasn't in love with Josie."

Bertha smiled having never heard this story before.

"Then, just as I was about to tell Anne I loved her, Her papa bursts in saying the train is leaving!" Gilbert exclaimed.

"No!" Phil cried giggling.

"What made the whole thing worse is that when Anne was pulling away on the train, her pap turns to me and says 'you were going to tell her, weren't you?' and then he says 'it's a shame I interrupted!'" Gilbert exclaimed with a laugh before everyone burst into laughter.

"You never told me that!" Anne managed between her giggles.

"That sounds like Walter!" Bertha exclaimed.

"Is Mr Shirley back on the island?" Phil asked to which she knew immediately had been the wrong question as every persons face from Avonlea dropped.

Bertha swallowed then said quietly, "No dear, he died."

Phil looked quickly at Anne and asked quietly how.

"The fever took him." Anne said as Gilbert's arm went around her.

Moody looked towards Bertha "You know how much we all loved him." He said to her.

"I do." She whispered gently. "He was an excellent teacher."

"Not just that an excellent man." Charlie exclaimed.

"Here here." Gilbert said with a smile.

"Do you remember at school when you beat up Andrew over Anne?" Charlie said with a grin.

"If I won, he didn't get to lay a finger on me or you ever again." He said bringing Anne closer to him "and I won. Out cold with two black eyes."

"That's what that was about!" Anne exclaimed. "Me?!" she asked.

"He…" Gilbert sighed. "He kept threatening to beat you." He said to her, "I was protecting you."

"I hadn't talked to you for so long." She said quietly. "You still protected me?" she asked again, knowing there was still a faint line on his back from the whipping he had taken from her from Andrew.

"Always, no matter what." He whispered to her under the conversation Bertha and Phil were having, with a kiss into her hair she snuggled more into him.

"Mrs Shirley, I'm so sorry, I just assumed, you still have your wedding ring on and I…."

"It's okay dear, it's an easy mistake." She admitted.

"Do you ever think you'll marry again?" Phil asked Bertha. "You could."

"I could." She said with her lips pressed, she quickly shook her head. "But I can't. I love Walter, that won't change." She explained to which Phil nodded she looked dreamily at Anne and Gilbert. "Love comes in all forms, shapes and sizes. A minster might have all the love in his heart for his flock, but it wouldn't weaken when he finds the women he loves. Nor would it change when he has children. Love is the one thing in life when shared doesn't diminish it multiplies."

Gilbert's grin soon turned into a smile, "Exactly." He agreed. "Where better to learn of love then in the home."

"And when you consider a mother's love for her children." She said with a smile to her mother "I think it's the purest kind of love there is." She said.

"At least that's what we had." Gilbert continued.

"Well there was two of us." Bertha said with a blush. "More than enough to handle the two of you." She said.

"Oh what were they like?" Priss asked finally chirping up.

"Well when a fairy and a sprite get together… it makes for some very interesting tales."

Gilbert and Anne lay on the bed together, Anne was snuggled into Gilbert's chest using his stomach to prop her book Gilbert lay flat on the bed holding the book in his hand reading.

"Gilbert?" Anne asked quietly, (putting her book to one side) knowing it was getting late and didn't want to disturb her mother in the room next door.

"Um?" he responded.

"Do you think my mother meant it?" she asked Gilbert.

"Your mother meant what?" Gilbert asked finally coming up from his book snapping it shut and putting it on the table beside him.

"What she said about not remarrying, about papa." She said quietly. Gilbert sat up with Anne as she moved. "I mean she could she's still young and pretty, she's only 37, she could even still have babies."

Gilbert smiled. "She could." He admitted. "And your mother is a beautiful woman, she could marry any man she wants to." He said with a smile. "but your mother…" he continued carefully "loved your papa very very much." He took Anne's hands and held them to him, "I think like me, she can't imagine loving someone else, not after being in love with a Shirley."

Anne smiled sweetly and bit her bottom lip before she lifted his hand to her lips and kissed them gently one by one. "But I'm a Blythe now." She whispered.

"But I fell in love with you while you were a Shirley." He clarified. "but I'll continue to love you as a Blythe."

"Glad to hear it." She said leaning over and kissing him. He brought his arms round her waist pulling her closer, Anne putting pressure down on him so he would lie on the bed behind him.

"mmmm.." she hear Gilbert sound from beneath her. She pulled back and looked at him. "I love you." He whispered.

"I love you." She whispered back. "You really were ready not to love anyone else ever again, weren't you?" she asked him.

"I…" he started. "I, guess, I'm not entirely sure I would know how." He admitted. "I would never be as close to someone else as I am to you."

"I'm so lucky to love you." Anne whispered.

"Right back at you." He told her. He kissed her again. "we should go to sleep." He whispered. She nodded in agreement pulling the covers over both their heads.

He smiled as she pulled in closer and suddenly kissed him. "I love you." She whispered before she pressed further into him.

He could feel himself react to her. "aaaahhhh." He managed as she started nipping down his neck. "Naaaannnn." He whispered huskily under her. "Ohhh this is perfect!" he whispered as he relaxed further to her fingers playing with the curls in his hair.

"You keep forgetting Gil." She said one hand playing down his face then chest then stomach. "That I was made to do these things to you." She whispered playfully. "I am still your Nan you know." She told him reaching down and playfully giggling. "Tell me what to do and I will follow you." She told him.

He couldn't resist another moment he reached under her nightshirt playing with her in a likewise manner, "And I thought it was always you making the rules." He said playfully.

She gasped then giggled at him. "Not always." She emphasised. "But my games were always best."


	11. Laying plans

Thanks for all those who have commented on my 'More Green Gables Fables' update last night. Honestly I knew the time was coming up and I kept on hoping they would do something... Someone said it was unlikely now Mandy was married. Its true, there are a number of factors which bring out the feminist in me and says 'wait a minute just because she's married'... but then there's a bigger part which knows not just Mandy but the rest of the team have moved on, they left it in a perfectly logical place and are unlikely to revist it, until maybe Gilbert is due to go to medical school and thats not for another 2 and a bit years and even then they would be elongating... medical school nowadays is nearly twice as long as medical school was back in Anne and Gilbert's day (Especially if Gilbert is wanting to be a top surgeon). Yes they could do it in another condensed timeline... maybe something for us fanfictioners to think about for the near future. But I think they left it in a lovely place.

* * *

 _ **F**_

Gilbert sat down in front of his mother in law a big sigh left him. It was two weeks after the last time we had seen them. Bertha now fully aware of her daughter's condition.

"How is she?" Bertha asked Gilbert.

"Sleeping for now, along with Walter." He said simply. "I don't know how she's handling this!" Gilbert sighed. "I think I wouldn't be too happy if I was being sick this much." He sighed.

Bertha smiled. "Anne knows its for a good cause." Bertha said with a knowing grin. "It makes all the difference." She said. "For the third time!"

"I thought going away, to England was going to be our best bet." He sighed.

"But it wasn't your dream?" Bertha asked him.

"It was my motivation." He said honestly. "I thought they were one in the same thing." He told her.

"Close your eyes Gil." She whispered to which he did. "In your minds eye, what do you see?" She asked him.

He took a sigh. "I see a house, not a mansion but not tiny just right you know, I see trees and a little veranda. I see you and Anne crocheting there, it's a warm day and most of the children are in bed." He said.

"Most of?" Bertha said taken aback a little. "Just how many are you thinking of Gil?"

"I'm not sure." He said with a shrug. "However many the good Lord blesses us with." He continued. "I'm coming through the white picket fence, I've had a long hard day at work, and a little girl comes running out the door." He laughs. "She looks just like Anne did at her age. Her curls bounce the same way." He said. Bertha looked at him seriously, her breath caught her as she remembered the little boy who had told her _"I was born to take care of Nan."_ It stuck her again that it seemed like his life goal to do so. To just take care of Anne. His whole world, she thought, it had revolved around Anne since he was a baby.

He opened his eyes and looked at Bertha. "What?" he asked her at her serious look.

"If we had never came to Avonlea, you might have had a chance…" she trailed.

Gilbert's head shook. "No." he said simply. "please don't." he asked of her. "Of a normal life for a little boy? How? With Moody and Charlie? Its not that it would have been a worse life, just not mine. I was made for Anne, and she for me." He sighed. "I wouldn't have it any other way. I was always meant to be with Nan." He laughed "I would have been so lonely without her." He said picking at the rug in front of him.

"You would have found each other." Bertha said taking a sigh. "So, where do you see this house of yours?" she asked him.

"Oh." Gilbert said looking to her. "well…" he started.

"Not here, not this little house." Bertha hinted. "We could sell…" she started

"Bertha, I can't take this home from you, no." he said.

"Just wait Gilbert Blythe, don't you see, it's a good deposit for whatever home you and Anne will need for your prosperity, for mine and Walter's prosperity. As long as I can have a small corner of my own, I'll be happy, this is just a house, the memories are here." She whispered holding her heart. "I have pictures and things which remind me of Walter, we haven't been living here for seven years and the house is far too small now with Joy and Walter not to mention the babe your wife is holding in her womb right now." She sighed. "I am always welcome to live with you aren't I?" she asked Gilbert directly.

"Of course, you are Bertha, we wouldn't abandon you." He told her coming and sitting next to his mother in law hugging her. He pulled back and looked at her "I just thought you would want to keep this place as your own." He admitted.

Bertha smiled "this home was for our prosperity." She stated again and she held him by his cheek. "and we have been blessed."

"I want to set up my own practice." He said looking at Bertha for a moment, who was only nodding. "Do you think there is room for another in Avonlea?" he asked her.

"There's always room for another Doctor Gilbert, especially if he is the best in the area." Bertha said with a smile. "But then again I am biased."

"I don't think I could leave, I know my Great Uncle needs help up in The Glen, but this is our home, mine and Anne's and yours." He sighed. "Plus Joy talks so much about Avonlea being home, she expects to start school here in September and going to school with her 'holiday' friends." Gilbert smiled. "I don't think any place else could be home."

She looked at Gilbert "Have you talked to Anne about it yet?" she asked him.

"No, not yet." He admitted. "I know I'm 'the man' around the house but, you are the head of the household in my eyes, I feel as though I should run things by you first."

Bertha smiled at her son in law. "You know its something I've always loved about you Gilbert, you've always been so respectful of me of Walter when he was alive. But its time Gilbert, you aren't a boy anymore, you've fulfilled your dreams academically, its time to start seeing yourself as the head of the home, question is, what kind of man will you be?" she said with a smile.

Gilbert laughed "You sound just like Walter." He said his head shaking. "He asked me that, when he found Anne and me when we ran away."

Bertha smiled. "Oh and he loved you Gilbert." She whispered. "For the man you were turning into, for the man you are. I think he smiles when he sees who you've become."

Gilbert bit his bottom lip in a smile. "I hope so." He then said slowly "I hope I never disappoint him." He said truthfully.

"Disappoint him?" Bertha asked and looked at him seriously. "I don't think you could ever do that Gil."

At this the door burst open and a ray of life came gushing in. "Daddy daddy look!" Joy exclaimed. "I did a picture of you and me, Nanny Bertha, Walter and our new baby in mammy tummy see!" She said with a picture of said group Gilbert smiled at the picture the picture of Anne's rounded stomach brought back so many memories of both Joy and Walter.

Gilbert thought there was nothing more attractive in the world then the sight of his wife's rounded tummy, carrying their child, but looked seriously at Joy for a minute. "Your mammy's tummy isn't big yet." He told her.

"No." Joy agreed. "But it will be soon won't it?" she asked him.

"Do you remember Mammy having Walter in her tummy?" Bertha asked Joy.

"Noooo." Joy said shaking her head. "But I do know her tummy will get big."

Gilbert smiled. "Well how about I teach you about it as we go." He said with a smile to his six-year-old daughter.

She nodded her head. "Daddy, where do babies come from?" she asked him.

Gilbert looked to Bertha with a blush. "Um…" he started looking to Bertha for help.

"Don't look at me." Bertha said her hands held up. "This is all you!" she exclaimed.


	12. Anne?

**_P_**

Christmas break was coming quickly upon them.

Anne knew she had no reason to be nervous.

She would excel like she always did in her exams.

She would go home back to the island and have a lovely time.

But she had this gut feeling that going back to Avonlea after what happened, wouldn't be easy.

She wasn't at all sure what people would think or say.

Especially after she ran away with Gilbert to be with him, after almost marrying someone else.

She was partially tense one day after classes, where every professor had seemed to remind them of their upcoming assignment which were all due the week before the Christmas break.

Anne slammed down her books upon coming in, although there was no one there to hear it. She knew this one last assignment needed doing, but it was always put off because there was always something else. She was comparing assignments with Gilbert, reminiscing about her classes in freshman year. Gilbert had been excited over a scholarship he had heard about, which would be enough for a quarter of the fees for next year. He worked hard and was becoming popular very quickly in his own social circle.

His own social circle.

He was freshman class president.

He had joined a franternity.

He was liked.

She took a sigh and dragged the slow cooker out of the pantry. Slammed down the vegetables and started peeling them. The door opened and close to her surprise in came Gilbert he gave her a kiss on her cheek.

"Hello Sweetheart." He said quietly putting his own books next to hers. "Did you not go to your lectures this morning?" he asked her.

"Of course I did." She almost snapped at him.

"Oh." He said. "Sorry just, I thought we agreed to meet outside the Brooks building at one?" he asked her.

She turned to him with horror on her face. "Oh Gil, I'm sorry I forgot!" she exclaimed putting down the knife and hugging into Gilbert. "I'm sorry." She whispered again. "I'm so, so sorry." She exclaimed bursting into tears.

"Nan." He whispered. "Whatever is the matter?" he asked her shushing her gently holding her close.

"I don't know if I can do this." She cried.

"Do what?" he asked her.

"Finish my course." She cried.

Gilbert gently moved her away from the kitchen and held her close on the sofa shushing her in his arms letting her cry the tears she needed to shed. "What's the matter sweetheart?" he whispered.

"All the people who have been my friends for the past couple of years are being so stand offish with me." She sighed. "I thought I was happy, I thought I was settled. But since I've came back they all look at me like I'm horrible and need to be avoided, Oh Gil, they must think because I didn't marry who they thought I would that I'm awful. At first I thought it might settle after a couple of weeks, but now we're almost out of the first term and they all still won't talk to me!" she exclaimed. "Oh Gil! What am I to do!" she sobbed back into him. He let her hug into his chest her whole self, sobbing into him. "I know all that should matter is that I have you, and it is all that matters but…" she continued to sob

"It'd be nice if you could have your friends too?" he asked her gently unpinning her hair letting it down her back stroking it as he went. "Sweetheart you've became accustom to your friends' company, do you really expect yourself not to grieve over the loss of those friends?" he asked her.

"I don't want to lose them." She whispered. She took a breath. "To make matters worse, you've slid into life at university, you won that rally, you're the class president, the star football player…" she sighed. "Everyone loves you and hates me!" she whined.

"That's not true." He told her straight "Come on, Charlie and Moody, Priss and Phil, they all love you." He whispered stroking her hair once again. "and all know you properly." He took a sigh. "Why don't you invite some of your friends along to Friday night? A nice big informal get together might get them to loosen up a little and open up about what's been bothering them." He suggested.

"You really think so?" she asked him.

"worth a shot, isn't it?" he said with a wide eyed innocent look to her.

* * *

So it was that Friday night Gilbert dedicated to inviting over Anne's friend.

It wasn't intended to be so strained. At first it was. Gilbert looked around at her friends three of which he recognised that day he came to visit.

"So John." He said with a smile, "Are you still having fun, trying to keep up with Anne's grades?"

"Um, still lag behind." He said quietly followed by a deadly silence in the room.

Anne stood up quickly "Alright I know what you're all thinking…" Anne sprung to life.

"Anne?" he started.

"You are all disappointed I didn't marry Roy, that I strung him along to my whims." She started. Gilbert looked to her friends who did look uncomfortable but he sensed that this wasn't what they were uncomfortable about.

"Um Nan." He whispered.

"…That I'm some sort of harlot." She continued. "But you have to know I never meant to hurt Roy. I never intended to, but I love Gilbert, I've always loved Gilbert and I'm happy, for the first time in so long I'm happy and I know it."

"Anne…" Gilbert tried again.

"That's not what my problem is." John finally interrupted.

Anne looked at John in shock. "its not?" she asked him.

"I can't speak for the others, because I think we're past talking about each other behind our backs, but my worry is Anne, do I really know you?" he asked her.

"I…" Anne looked at him confused. "I don't understand."

"I think what John means, is…" One of the girls Melissa said "You had us all believing Roy was your Mr Perfect, but along with it your personality changed around him, you were quieter more subdue, and we didn't know which Anne was the real one."

"That's exactly it and I didn't know which one was you."

"I'm me." Anne said sitting back down next to Gilbert. She closed her eyes for a moment before she looked at Gilbert "Was I really all that different around him?" she asked Gilbert directly.

He looked at Anne for a moment before he bit his bottom lip "I barely knew you sweetheart." He admitted. "And you weren't half the women I fell in love with around him." He told her. "I still loved you, you know that, I would have always loved you." He said stroking her hands.

She took a breath and looked at her friends. "I didn't know I had been so different here too." She sighed. "I'm sorry."

The other girl Penny spoke. "You didn't invite any of us." She said plainly.

"Truth be told no one from Avonlea was in the chapel, other than the Blythe's and me and my mother, they had so many important people who had to attend…" Anne blushed. "I suppose none of them matter to me now." She sighed "I wasn't myself, please…" she asked of them "Give me another chance?"

Penny spoke first, "Hello." She said standing up and holding her hand out for Anne "I'm Penny Langley." She said with a smile. "Pleased to meet you."

Anne stood and smiled at her friend. "I'm Anne Blythe, though you might know me by my maiden name, Shirley."

John was the next to speak "Anne Shirley you say? The same one which has been beating my marks the last two years, I did wonder at the name change. I'm John" He said.

Anne finally looked to Melissa she sat then looked at them, "I'm not willing to pretend I don't know you Anne." She said definitely.

"Melissa…"

"Because I like you too much." She said with a smile to her. "Well the Anne I thought I knew anyway."

Anne smiled widely and hugged her. "Thank you." She whispered. "Thank you to you all."

"With that out of the way," Gilbert said with a smile. "Whose up for a dramatic critic of 'The Taming of the Screw'?" Gilbert suggested.

* * *

Friends gone the night was late Anne and Gilbert snuggled into each other, the covers half off, but they didn't see cold or concerned. Anne lay on her stomach, (with being completely alone it didn't matter that they were both stark naked, and quite comfortably so, Anne said 'the clothes got in the way' Gilbert said they were 'more free to be like Adam and Eve this way', so when they settled at night clothing was often now optional) while Gilbert lazily drew number 8's on her back.

"would you have been happy Nan?" he asked her.

"With what?" she asked him her head coming up from her arms which lay across her head as she relaxed there.

"Being married to Roy." He asked.

Anne chuckled and looked at him seriously "I don't think it would have been like this Gil." She said with him her eyebrows quirked in disbelief.

He laughed at this. "No, probably not." He said straight. "But at the beginning of the summer, or at least while you were engaged to him you seemed determined to live in that world."

"I was." She said softly. "I'd been waiting for you to notice me as something other than Anne…" she said then she moved towards him into his arms and smelt him deeply. "There's only so much waiting a girl can do you know." She giggled. "I just thought…" she said talking his hand in her their fingers playing a familiar dance with the others "I'd better make the best out of a bad situation. Roy wasn't a bad man, I could in time love him." She sighed. "But a part of me I suppose would always be missing, as long as you weren't there."

They lay silently for a moment before Gilbert spoke "You know, no matter how popular I get here, I will always, always want to spend all my time with you." He said as she looked up at him with big grey eyes "none of them hold a flame on you Nan." He said gently as he reached down his lips to hers and kissed her so gently.

She sighed and looked up at her husband "Can you read my mind?" she asked him, her eyebrows knitting together.

He laughed. "It must feel like I can at times." He acknowledged. "and you mine." He said kissing into her hair. "I think its in the way we are with each other." He said with a grin.

"we're lucky." Anne acknowledged holding him closer, she giggled as she felt him tense as she moved closer to him, her body intertwined with his, their limps completely tangled, then suddenly relax as she settled wrapped in his arms. "I know it was with clothes when we were younger and we were so much more innocent of what we were doing…" she sighed. "But I didn't half miss falling asleep with you like this."

His lips twisted happily as he closed his eyes and relaxed into the familiar sleeping position he held and mastered as a babe. "You have no idea." He whispered as his tired eyes slowly closed to the darkness of the night.


	13. You know we're home

Okay I'm going to start marking these... so the chapters based immediately after BFF I will mark with a P all the ones in the future with an F at the you really need to pay attention otherwise you get the two timelines mixed up!

* * *

 _ **F**_

Anne looked in awe at the house in front of them. A little way out of town you turned into the grove of trees and the house was a little way in, just far away that the road didn't distract them but was an aid to help the rest of Avonlea for the young doctor. It was a half mile walk to the school but he knew his daughter, like his other would love the adventure of it everyday, finding the little things along the way, the lily of the valley, the roses, he smiled that one day very soon he could show his daughter the fireflies as they came out at night.

The two knew the house as of old, it had been abandoned for quite some time and the owner seemed glad to be aiding Gilbert in his endeavour to set up home and house.

"Well?" he asked Anne. "What do you think?"

Anne looked at him in surprise. "We used to walk by this house and imagine it was haunted!" Anne exclaimed.

"If our imagination dreamed that up, surely you can see how it can be our home."

"The white widow died here most gruesomely." Anne remembered.

"It was only a story Nan!" he exclaimed with a chuckle.

"Not what you told me when I was six years old!" she teased back. "Not her and her icy fingers grasps you by the shoulder." She said her hand coming up behind his back her fingers wrapping round his other shoulder, he jumped as it did.

She laughed as he jumped and he chuckled once he saw it was her hand. "We'll perform an exorcism on the place before we move in." he said with a grin. "Come on Nan, keep an open mind for me, please, if you don't like it for itself then I'll try and find somewhere else for us."

Anne sighed and looked again. "Where are the property boundaries?" she asked him.

"They run down to the main road, so we could easily create a driveway for the buggie, that will make it easier to access the road in the winter, it extends down to the public path."

"That far?" Anne asked. "We've been trespassing all our lives?" she asked.

"No." she smiled. "The path we used is public access." He assured her. "But field and the grove of trees with the stream running through it is ours." He said with a grin.

"I told you that fence was there for a reason." She said settling a 2 decade debate they had.

 _"_ _Fences are there for a reason Gilbert!" a four year old Anne had told Gilbert._

 _"_ _Re-lax Nan." He said hold her hand so she could climb over the fence. "No one is going to lock up a four year old and a six year old."_

 _"_ _A robber of children could." She had told him and she landed on the ground beside him "what if we don't know of any children taken because the white widow never left any trace of them being here."_

 _Gilbert had chuckled. "Scary cat!" he exclaimed._

 _"_ _I am not!" Anne had protested._

 _"_ _Are too." Gilbert had said._

 _"_ _You might want to taken away from your mamma and papa but I don't. I like my mammy and daddy." She told him._

 _Gilbert took a breath and looked at his little companion. He took her hand in his "have I ever let anything hurt you Nan?" he asked her._

 _"_ _No." she whimpered a little._

 _"_ _And I never will." He whispered holding her hand tighter._

 _"_ _Alright." Anne agreed. "no matter what."_

They walked towards the house "We need to repair the fences but pap said he could help with that and we could make sure they are nice and secure, keep the kidnappers out." He said with a wink to Anne. "The house itself is one of the oldest in Avonlea which is partly why the previous owner wanted rid, too much work to get it up to scratch, it does mean we get it way below value though." He said as they got to the veranda and opened the door with the key.

They came through the door which came straight into a small square where you could hang any coats and store boots. The door then opened to a hallway, immediately in front was some stairs leading to the upstairs. But its when you turned left you got to the interesting part.

"Now I know there isn't a separate parlour or dining room the but I thought with this being the kitchen and the functional kitchen is only really there we could have a nice big table here. Can you see it?" he asked Anne excited. "a nice big table where the children could do their homework, you could write out your stories or even if you wanted to become chained to the kitchen sink." He said with a cheeky smile to Anne who nudged him in return. "Well how should I know what kind of wife you'll be?"

"The kind you've had for the past seven years!" she exclaimed as she laughed. "That's always satisfied you before." She said her eyes wide to him. She walked over to the door to the pantry and opened it "This pantry is bigger than my bedroom!" she exclaimed.

Gilbert smiled. "That's an over exaggeration" he laughed "But I'll admit it is big. There's a secondary one over there too." He said pointing behind them. To another door which looked as though it should be under the stairs from the hallway but did go further back creating a bigger room. "But I thought we'd maybe go modern, since we have a good down payment for the house and the bank has been kind enough to loan us the money, and have an indoor toilet maybe even have the bath in there, so we won't need to pull it out anywhere, can you imagine that? We'd be living like the rich!" he said to her.

"No more running to the cold outhouse." Anne said with a smile. "Your feet were always freezing!" she teased him.

"But Nan…" he whined as he did when he was a child "You're nice and warm."

She laughed as he snuggled into her back and kissed her neck, a fairly new addition to the familiar play.

"It is beautiful." Anne said looking around her "and that fire and oven is just beautiful." She admitted.

"Yeah?" he asked her.

"Yeah." She confirmed.

"Come on wait till you see the living room." He said pulling her through another arch in the wall, where they came into a large room with a beautiful fireplace in the midst of the room crowing its glory.

"This is huge!" Anne exclaimed!

"Should give us plenty of room to grow." He said with a grin.

"Oh?!" Anne played "Are you the one giving birth to them?"

"No." he said seriously. "But sweetheart, I'll be right next to you, just like I was with Joy and Walter." Gilbert said kissing her hands and her barely rounded tummy. "And I won't need help, other than a nurse maybe to deliver our babies." He said with a grin.

She pointed towards a door at the other side of the room "That , I think, I should be happy in there." He said to her. "I'd like for it to be my office." he said to her "If you can spare the room?" he asked.

Anne opened the door and looked in it. "Gilbert this must be the smallest room yet, are you sure you don't want one of the others?" she asked him.

"The window is full west." He admitted. "I'll be able to see the sun go down in there." He said. "Its small but perfectly formed." He said wrapping his arms around her "like something else I know of." He said playing with her again as she giggled in his arms "or should that be some one?" he asked her.

"I'm not small!" she protested. "I'm only seven inches smaller then you and you're over 6 foot!" she exclaimed.

Her back to him his head rested perfectly on into her shoulder. "I meant your form." He said with a smile to her. "Perfect." He said before he kissed into her neck. "Perfect for me!" he exclaimed.

She grabbed his hand and turned around twirling through the living room. "Can we go and look upstairs?" she asked him her eyes dancing.

He laughed as she pulled him back through the house and up the stairs. "Four bedrooms, your mother could have her choice of bedroom." He said to Anne. "They are all a fair size." He admitted. "So again…" he grinned. "Plenty of room to grow." He said with a wink to Anne as she full steamed ahead to each room. She gasped at the last room she opened.

"I was hoping that would be ours." He said with a smile.

He said following her into the room. "Our bed there, a cot just there, we wouldn't need a separate nursery before they went into their own bedrooms." He said. Anne knew from the way he was talking he could picture it. Picture them, there. She couldn't blame him.

She smiled widely and turned to him "We're home!" she exclaimed. "Now are you sure we can make the payments to the bank?" she asked him seriously.

He nodded and a grin came across his face. "I could show you the numbers if you like." He told her to which she nodded. "But you do know I'll take care of you Nan?" he asked her. "I'd never let anything happen?" he questioned.

"I know." She whispered happily wrapping her arms round his neck. "Our room?" she flirted with him.

He smiled and bit into his bottom lip. "Our room." He whispered reaching round her back lifting her in his arms his hands cupping her bottom in the lift.

She laughed at the action and wiggled her eyebrows at him "any excuse!" she exclaimed.

"We can christen this one properly!" he said with a bite to his bottom lip.

"Oh yes please!" she flirted playing with his waistband.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later the pair heard the front door open and a "Anne? Gilbert?" being called.

"We're just up here mom!" Anne shouted hurrying her corset back on with Gilbert's help. "We'll be down in a minute, why don't you have a look around, look at the pantry its bigger then my bedroom!" she exclaimed as Gilbert pulled too tight on a lace "Ouch!" she whispered.

"Sorry!" he mouthed.

"Okay." Bertha shouted back. "It'll give you more time to put your clothes back on!" Bertha shouted saucily.

Gilbert laughed as Anne rolled her eyes "She knows us too well!" Anne whispered before she started to giggle.

"Is there room in there baby Blythe?" he whispered to the round of her tummy stroking it fondly. "You okay in there after the earthquake in there?" he asked teasingly buttoning back up his shirt as Anne scoffed. "It must be like that in there for them Anne, think about it!" he exclaimed.

"You did, though, right?" he whispered to her as they made their way down the hall.

Anne turned with her teeth chewing on her cheek "Every…" she said with a quick kiss to his lips "single…" she kissed him again" Time!" she whispered allowing his arms to go round her and pull her in "And who can blame me, when my husband is as finely made as you."

"Oh thanks." He said with a small blush "Just what a wife ought to say to her husband." He said with a smile as he went down the stairs.

Anne stayed at the top for a moment looking down at her husband as he walked. "Awfully nice!" she flirted.

"Anne Blythe!" he exclaimed quietly.

She giggled then walked down the steps following him down. "So Ma…" she said as she saw her mother come into view "What do you think of the home my husband has chosen for us?" she asked her mother.

"It's beautiful Gilbert, really it is." Bertha complimented. "And that pantry is impressive." She smiled "It'll come in handy." She said with a smirk.

"Come and see the bedrooms mom." Anne blushed. "They are beautiful." She said pulling her mother back up the stairs happily showing off each room for their virtues.

"That's needless to say Bertha,you can have any one of them you like." Gilbert said pulling his arm around his mother in law.

Bertha smiled and pointed down the hallway to the bedroom behind the staircase immediately on top of the entrance hall and part sharing the kitchen. "I like that one." She said to them.

"But ma, that's the smallest bedroom!" Anne exclaimed.

"Its still big enough to fit in my double bed and a wardrobe." She defended, "And I like it the windows are full west, I'll be able to go to sleep with the sun setting." She said.

To which Gilbert chuckled and looked at Anne, "we are all far too much alike." He whispered.


	14. You didn't know?

**I don't know if the notification for last weeks updates reached everyone FF was broken). Please have a quick look at the last chapter name sure you read it!**

* * *

 _ **P**_

"Hey." Melissa said with a smile "Can I sit next to you?" she asked Anne who had all her books around her studying in the library for an upcoming exam.

"Yes!" Anne exclaimed excitedly. "Please yes." Anne smiled.

"Sooo…." Melissa said with a smile to Anne. "Gilbert huh?" she asked.

"Yeah." Anne blushed lightly. "Gilbert."

"Mister-honestly-nothing-like-that-has-ever-happened-Blythe Gilbert?" She teased Anne.

Anne laughed. "It turns out there was more going on there then…" Anne sighed. "I thought he felt."

"So did Roy cry?" She asked with a teasing smile.

"Oh…" Anne said her face falling "I don't know really, I mean Gilbert would know better be was there longer."Anne blushed "before he came to find me."

"And you really had no idea how Gilbert felt?" She asked.

"Not a clue." Anne shrugged. "I just… I'd been away from him too long, the last time we were separated like that was for two years and we'd been apart for so long, I just convinced myself that we didn't care." She took a sigh, "Then over the summer, slowly things started to fall into place and I realised, he had loved me all along…" she took a deep breath a tear escaping her eye "…and he was still in love with me." She chuckled as she wiped it away "I didn't know what I was doing when I ran up that isle away from Roy, but I knew I wasn't me and I knew that I… am deeply in love with Gilbert Blythe."

"Wow!" Melissa said after a few seconds.

"Yeah." Anne agreed "Wow."

"How deep?" Melissa asked with a bitten lip. To which Anne blushed and gasped a little "I mean he's a handsome man…" she trailed. "Is he dreamy?"

Anne looked shocked at her friend "I'm not going to dignify that with an answer." Anne said a playful eyebrow threatening to give her game away.

"He's completely dreamy!" Melissa exclaimed. Anne chuckled before her face went serious again. "What is it?" Melissa asked her.

"Its just you all thought badly of me." Anne admitted quietly. "God only knows what people in Avonlea think of me." She breathed. "It wasn't just you." She admitted. "But no one from Avonlea was at the wedding, its just I'm wondering, what people must think of me." She said quietly.

"What matters…" Melissa said "is that you face it." She admitted. "After that, the ball is in their court." Melissa sighed "Anyone with half a wit about them will not care a jolt and realise you never should marry someone you don't love and find your elopement not so surprising and a little bit romantic." She smiled.

"Thanks." Anne said her teeth sinking into her bottom lip.

"Hey Anne?" she asked her.

"Yeah."

"When did you know you loved Gilbert?" she asked her.

"Oh," she sighed. "I…" she trailed. "I hadn't talked to Gilbert for a long time over a year, What I didn't know is the reason he cut himself off from me, the reason he gave me up, was he was protecting me." She swallowed for a moment before continued "One of the other boys had whipped his back he still has marks where he was hit and told him unless he stopped being my friend, he would come after me too."

"That's awful!" Melissa said in shock.

"Yeah." Anne agreed "it was." She sighed "I saw the marks on his back that day and I forced him to tell me what had happened." Anne sighed. "And it wasn't that I didn't love him before but that's the moment I knew…" she cleared her throat of the lump that was forming in it "…somewhere along the lines I had fallen in love with him."

"Do you know when?" she asked.

"No." Anne smiled. "No I don't, I don't wish to either." She said with determination. "It would mean separating the different kinds of love from our friendship into our relationship and I don't think it is right, because love is eternal." She dazed for a moment as if she wasn't there dreamily she said "And Gilbert and I are just 'us', its just who we are, you know?" she asked Melissa.

Melissa smiled "I wish I did Anne." She said honestly. She looked at Anne for a moment wide eyed "it really was you, wasn't it? The Anne we first met, the one before Roy?" she asked.

"Yeah." Anne agreed. "I just, lost myself for a while."

* * *

"Nan?" he asked. "where'd you go?" Gilbert called before he saw her sitting on the deck of the ferry, not on the side towards the island but away from the island. "Anne!" he exclaimed seeing her as she shook slightly as she sat. "Are you cold?" he asked her wrapping his arms around her "You're freezing!" he exclaimed. "Anne come inside." He said to her.

"No!" she said pulling him back on the deck of the ferry beside her. It was only then she saw the red in her eyes turning the colour in her eyes a bright green.

"This isn't good for you, you'll catch your death!" he exclaimed. "Please my love come inside I'll keep you warm." He said to her.

"I don't want to go back." She said shaking her head.

"Inside?" he asked her. "Don't be silly Nan its warm…."

"To Avonlea." She whispered.

Gilbert stopped for a moment and came to realization of what she meant. He took a breath and scooped beside her holding her close in his arms, he could feel through their coats she was warming up. "It's the first time since we eloped." He observed. "You embarrassed to have me as a husband?" he asked her.

"Not most of the time." She said her sharp witt teasing through her sorrow.

"Well at least your spirits haven't injured your tongue." He said with a smile down to his wife who cheekily grinned up at him through her tears.

"Of course, I'm not ashamed of you husband." She said to him taking her hand in his "I'm ashamed of myself." She said with a sigh. "We gave me some leeway some time, to adjust to recover and now I have to face it." She admitted.

"You don't feel ready?" he asked her.

"I love you, I'm not ashamed of marrying you, I'm ashamed of what I put you though this last summer and me in my childlike nature to think the way to get over you was to marry someone else, I don't want this with anyone else, I don't believe I could have had this with anyone else, but Roy…" she said. "He was dim and a little under thumb…" she started.

"A little!" Gilbert exclaimed.

"But he was sweet. He did nothing to deserve what happened."

"I don't know he didn't intend on ever letting you come back to college." Gilbert muttered.

"But he was a good man."

Gilbert sighed. "Yes, he was a good man." Gilbert agreed. "But one day he will marry someone else, and he will be glad this didn't work out, he can marry an equally as dim star and have very rich and very spoilt children with no imagination." Gilbert said with a grin to Anne.

Anne physically laughed. "Oh Gil…" she giggled "what must people think!" she exclaimed.

"I bet you don't really care right now." Gilbert said as they continued to giggle together to which she shook her head in her fits of giggles. "Come on." He said standing up holding his hand out to her putting her off the deck. "Lets go downstairs, get a cup of tea, warm you up a degree or two." He put his arm around her and held her close "Come on what's the worse that will happen."

"Mrs Lynde's lecture on the virtues of being true to ones self."

Gilbert laughed at this as they went under deck his wife describing the lecture to him.

* * *

"So you're telling me you never knew?!" Diana exclaimed. "In all that time Anne, you never knew Gilbert loved you?" She asked her.

"Well how should I?" Anne asked the collective group, being round at Orchard's Slope and having tea with Diana Ruby and Josie.

"Well I always thought you two should get married." Ruby said her smile wide.

"Well I don't see how it was obvious." Josie snubbed taking a sip of her tea, "A man doesn't like his women too educated or smart, I thought you should end up an old maid." She said taking another sip again "How you got _two_ beaus after you at once I'll never know." She sneered.

"Well thank you Josie." Anne said her eyes rolling.

"Its awfully romantic Anne." Ruby continued.

"Well, you're the first one of us to marry." Diana blushed smiling at Anne. "What's it like?"

"What's it like living with your mother all the time?" Ruby asked.

"You'll need lessons." Josie interrupted as they all looked at her. "Well its true, your mother let you go running off with Gilbert far too much, and being a real wife is a full time job." She said.

"Anne's smart." Ruby said sweetly. "I bet your mother is giving you on the job lessons."

"And she is the best at crochet out of all us all, have you made some really cosy things for your home in Kingsport?" she asked Anne.

"I have." Anne agreed. "Gil and I made ma a rocking chair then I made two blankets for the living room, I'm working on this new pattern we picked up in Kingsport for a cushion." She admitted. "Ma even made us a rug it's so cosy in front of the fireplace!" Anne admitted.

"I think it was irresponsible." Josie said holding her nose high "Mamma said it was highly immoral, you should never agree to marrying someone if you don't intend on keeping that promise, and ma said when Anne ran out of the church Roy cried."

"How would she know." Diana snapped. "No one from the village were there and certainly no Pye's."

"Which one would hurt him more Josie, me leaving him at the altar, or a lifetime of waiting for his wife to love him?" Anne asked her. Josie looked at Anne who swallowed and looked at her knees. "Come on Josie. Tell me?"

"I… I…"

"He is a sweet and kind man, who deserves to be loved." Anne defended.

"And Gilbert deserves his cast offs?" Josie said her lips upturning.

"Josie!" Diana exclaimed. "That's enough!"

There was silence in the room before Ruby spoke first "You need to apologise to Anne Josie."

"I'm just saying…" Josie started.

"I know Gilbert deserves more." Anne interrupted. "You have to believe me when I say, I never really loved Roy, I don't think I ever could because my heart…" she paused and took a deep breath "I think I gave it away to Gilbert a long time ago. I know I've dragged his heart through the pit and back…"

"Enough!" Diana exclaimed. "Josie, apologise now! You know it wasn't Anne's intentions and right now she needs her friends by her side not her enemies."

There was silence for a moment before Josie muttered an apology. Then Diana in her way said " So, we're all dying to know Anne, what are your wifey _duties_ like?" She said with a cheeky smile and a bottom bite to the lip.

Anne blushed a hot red.


	15. Joy

I have been updating these stories weekly bases and Fanficton has had some problems of late, just go through the last few chapters make sure you've read them.

This one is basically Joy, not because I've ran out of steam but because I have likewise "conversations" with my six year old, not looks wise but talk wise Joy is very much based on my own daughter! So this one is for you... and all you people who now six year old girls...

* * *

 _ **F**_

"Oh Mammy Daddy!" Joy exclaimed her hands clasped in front of her in the feeling her name expressed. "Our new home is wonderful!" she exclaimed. "You know what I found today?" she said to them but not giving them time to answer "a brook!" she exclaimed "In our very own back yard, its all the way to the back and its so very small but it is there!" she continued. "Daddy, you know what I want most of all!" She exclaimed. "A pond!" she said in her decision. "Do you want to know why?" Again another rhetorical question because she barely stopped for breath. "Wouldn't it be romantic to have a pond in your back yard? With the moon reflecting in it? Wouldn't it be lovely to have your own pond? Anne Cordelia told me that Barry's pond belonged to her because it had her grandpappy's last name in it. I got cross because it isn't. It can't be! It's a on public property!" she exclaimed. "I told her it and she ran away crying, I didn't mean to make her cry but I did, I was sure to say sorry straight away because she was named after mamma particular friend and of course she's known Diana since she was my age too haven't you?" She sighed slightly before she said "I think it shall be grand to have a life long friend someone who knows you all, But I don't think Aunty Diana does know you or daddy all does she? But that's okay, I don't think I would mind having a boy as a life long friend as long as he was like daddy and not Ralph Pye. He said it was silly to have a name named after an emotion and I told him it was silly to have a name named after something you eat, I don't know if I mean it all, but I do mean to say he shouldn't make fun of my name, I like my name, you chose it well, It means the same thing as my last name which I like, but anyway I want a pond so we can call it Blythe's pond then I have have greater claim on it then Anne Cordelia does on Barry's because it IS my last name.

You know what I like too? Our own little grove of trees which runs along side the driveway we have for when Daddy goes calling on folks to make them better. I like trees they are old and wise and have such secrets to share with little people such as myself. Do trees still talk to you mammy?" she asked her mother who only just started to shake her head. "its a shame really isn't it?" She then carried on as if she didn't ask the question "Can you imagine sleeping under the old oak tree outside? If we sleep out there we can imagine that we were sleeping in a great forest all surrounded by the moon and the nightlife, wouldn't it be magnificent? Imagine living as God put us on the earth! Do you like camping mamma?" she asked her, Anne merely nodded. "Did Nanny Bertha tell me of a time you and daddy ran away together and lived in the outdoors in a tent with daddy?" she shook her head laughing "well that sounds like a grand adventure, although you shouldn't have ran away mammy, Nanny Bertha would have been so scared to loose you!" she exclaimed. "You're like me see mammy, there's only one of me too and if your mammy lost you it would be like you loosing me, and you wouldn't want to do that either would you?"

"Well…" Anne started with a grin to Gilbert who almost snorted into his orange juice.

"So, I must remember to stay where you can find me." Joyce continued. "Oh and, daddy promised me he would show me the fireflies, he said they weren't far from here, and I'm glad, he said you used to think they were magicked up by an enchantress?" Anne said with a grin to her mother. "Did he convince you of that mammy?" she asked. "Its nice in a way, to believe in magic isn't it? To think some things in the world are unexplainable, like Santa is or the tooth fairy." She said very practicality. "But then, I'll pretend like daddy did, for Walter so the magic isn't lost on him because Walter is a baby and needs magic." She smiled "I can't wait to see the fireflies and stay out camping all night with you and mammy and Walter daddy." She continued. "We will have a grand adventure!" she exclaimed. "Won't Nanny Bertha want to come?" she asked.

"Well, Nanny Bertha would rather stay here sweetheart." Anne assured her.

"Will you show me how to build a campfire like you showed mammy?" Joyce asked her father.

"Of course." He agreed.

"Good, because I don't want you to treat me differently just because I'm a girl."

"I don't think your daddy would know how to treat you differently because you're a girl." Anne told her daughter. "He never did me."

"Good." She said with a sweet kiss to her father. "I'm glad I have you as a daddy." She whispered to him.

"I'm glad I have you as a daughter." He said with a lopsided grin.

"Can we go into town today?" she asked her father.

"Do you need something from town?" he asked her.

"I wanted to start recommending your services as a doctor daddy. So we can get people to want you as their doctor." She said.

Gilbert smiled at her daughter. "Its my job to worry about that sweetheart." He said kissing into her hair. "But tell you how you could help?" he told her. "How about you walk over to the schoolhouse with mammy, for a practice walk to and from school, see how long it takes then make sure that mammy rest a little while and help Nanny Bertha take care of Walter."

"If you say so!" she exclaimed to her father. "I'm so glad I have my little family!" she exclaimed. "I'm going to pack my bag today too for our camping trip daddy." She smiled. "May I leave the table?" she asked her mother.

"Of course." Anne smiled to her daughter.

Joyce jumped down from the table and walked towards the kitchen to go through it "I'm going to wake Nanny Bertha, she won't want to miss this!" she exclaimed.

The room went quiet when she left Gilbert and Anne looked at each other bursting into laughter.

"That girl!" Gilbert exclaimed standing and kissing into Anne's hair "Is definitely your daughter." He said with a smile.

"Aren't you glad?" Anne smiled to Gilbert.

Gilbert looked down at his son and gave him a quick kiss "Good luck son." He said. You're going to need it with all these formidable women around you."

With that he gave a cheeky wink to his wife before he headed for his study.


	16. Being a man

_**P**_

"Another win!" James exclaimed to Gilbert. "You are the man Gil!" he exclaimed "We're the best football team that Redmond has!"

Gilbert grinned and shrugged "Just lucky with my team ey!" he exclaimed with a smile. "Keep on working as a team…" he started before he took a sip of his water "…I think we'll be the best team going, we could even win the juniors you know Anne says their team isn't half as good as ours."

"Anne?" One of the boys asked.

"His wife." James said to the lad.

"Wife?!" he exclaimed. "no way, you married?"

"Um yeah." Gilbert said confused raising his left hand the ring firmly on his wedding finger.

"get her pregnant?" the lad asked.

James laughed outright while Gilbert swallowed, then said quietly "my marriage isn't a punishment for bad behaviour." Gilbert told him. "she's my reason for being." He said quietly.

The lad looked to Gilbert in genuine astonishment. "So your wife is a Junior then? You let her get an education? Why? She's just going to be mothering..."

"Just? Only?" Gilbert shook his head "even if that were true, that would be no reason for her not to get an education, its her life." Gilbert sighed "she an accomplished young lady on her own steam, she's getting a book published you know its in the works with her publisher." He said not to boast but as a matter of fact.

"wait a minute if both you and your wife are in college how are you living? " the lad asked.

"my mother in law lives with us, she's a teacher by trade and has a post at the ladies coll..." he started.

"Wait..." the lad said looking at Gilbert " so you're a kept man? " he aired him accusingly.

"hey! " James defended, "back off man."

"We got here off our own steam, Anne got a scholarship and I was a teacher saving up to come to university."

"Then what did you marry for? She only ties you down."

"Not Anne," he said quietly. "She sets me free."

The lad looked incredulously at him "look all I know is that men are more likely to drop out of university when they are married. The little 'mrs' wants this and that and has a baby or two and starts demanding…"

"You don't know Anne." Gilbert told him. "Anyway we're not likely to have babies anytime soon anyway." He muttered.

"It's always a possibility, unless…" he smirked at Gilbert "Have you actually got hold of some contraceptive?" he looked in awe "How'd you manage that!?"

Gilbert sighed. "We didn't marry for that." He said. "I mean we have but we… we have it under control, you don't need to question how, that's our business." Gilbert slammed his locker shut. The three men walked out the changing rooms where Gilbert saw Anne waiting down the hall, his lips turned to a smile and he jogged right into her arms.

"Wow," he said in a low tone to James. "That's Gilbert's wife!" he exclaimed. "Definitely not a punishment!"

 ** _F_**

Gilbert sat in his study looking out the window quietly, he heard a knock at the door. "Come in." he said quietly.

"The babies are asleep, I was wondering if you'd like my company?" Anne asked him.

"Always Nan." He said with a smile holding out his hand to her. She smiled and took it sitting on his knee looking out the window. "There's something about twilight isn't there?" she asked him. "The light fading into darkness then something anew awaits the next day?" she asked him.

He smiled at her thought and kissed into her shoulder blade "I wonder what tomorrow will bring." He whispered.

"Are you worried about the practice?" she asked him.

"I'm sure it'll pick up." He said honestly. "Just…" he sighed. "I'm tired of being a 'kept man' that's all."

Anne looked at him and stroked into his hair. "I remember the last time you were worried about that," she said quietly. "Your eyes were all big and hazel and there was so much concern in them." She said to him. "About what we thought, about what everyone else thought."

He smiled and kissed into her. "Love, its just, I keep thinking 'we're nearly there, we're almost there' and its been a countdown, so it was after graduation and then it was once we're back from London, and then its once we have a house and now its once the practice is set up." He sighed "I'm tired of it being 'once…' I want it now!" he sighed.

Anne kissed him on his nose "You are adorable." She whispered. "You have to remember love, this is temporary, this is all just temporary, and we're starting, or rather have started on the things more important and permanent. Our babies…" she said with a smile taking his hand and rubbing it on her tummy. "Our home, our life, it'll come, it'll happen. We just have to wait." She smiled and kissed him again "And one day we'll look back at this day and remember it and wonder, why are we so concerned."

Gilbert looked at her wide eyed with a pouted lip. "Can we make it today?" he asked.

She giggled in his arms wrapping them around her "Patience." She whispered.

* * *

Joy's first day was going exactly as planned. Her mother had walked her to school telling her about all of the wonderful things she would love to learn about. Joy had plaited her chestnut brown hair in perfect pigtails, it was perfect. She had picked the desk right next to the teachers and she was going to be the model student, and she Joy Blythe loved her teacher already. She was so pretty with jet black hair and sparkling blue eyes, Miss McNeil was lovely. Joy was working on her sums when one of the older girls stood up and fainted near the back of the class.

Miss McNeil went to the girl whose head was bleeding "We need a doctor." She said to the class.

"Doctor Smith is out of town for the day." One of the students chirped up.

Joyce stood up and said in a clear and focused voice "My daddy is a doctor, Doctor Blythe, he just left medical school so he knows all the latest life saving techniques and he's only half a mile away."

Miss McNeil looked at Joyce for a moment before she said. "Joy, do you know you're way home?" She asked her.

"Yes Miss McNeil." She said confidently. "My mammy and brother walked me here yesterday here and back and I walked it this morning."

Miss McNeill made a quick decision. "Miss Gillis." She said to an older student. "Go with Joy and get her father, explain to him what's happened and come straight back with Doctor Blythe and Joyce."

"Yes, Miss McNeil, come on Joy." The girl said holding out her hand to the younger girl.

"And Mr Gillis, walk do you know where Miss Holden lives?" she asked him.

"Yes Miss McNeil." He confirmed.

"Go to the house and tell Miss Holden's mother, they need to come and get hurry." Miss McNeil said.

It was an hour later Gilbert had taken care of the girl and was outside the schoolhouse with Miss McNeil, the girls parents, the girl and Joyce by his side. "You should look out for any signs of concussion." He told them "Any signs of unusual drowsiness, lethargy or headaches, double vision, you can call her doctor, or me…" he said with a blush "and I think you need a consultation on why she fainted in the first place..." he said kindly.

"Oh you've been so good Doctor Blythe, please can you diagnose her?" Her mother asked him.

Gilbert could barely talk but nodded giving himself a brief time to recover "Of course, we'll need to monitor her over the next few days. I'll come by later with the paperwork and I'll talk you through what we need to look out for."

"Thank you Doctor Blythe." Mr Holden said. "Please how much do we owe you for today?" he asked Gilbert.

He shook his head. "Oh no, not right now." Gilbert said. "We can talk about payment once we have her in a better state."

"Doctor Blythe…" Mr Holden started.

"No, I mean it." He insisted.

Mr and Mrs Holden took their daughter to the buggy.

Gilbert looked to Miss McNeil who smiled at him. "You're lucky Doctor Blythe, to have a daughter so level headed in an emergency. She recommended you in a heartbeat." She said stroking Joyce's hair for a moment.

Gilbert looked to his daughter and smiled at her, she looked at her father and winked at him. "Yes," he said to Miss McNeil. "I am."

Miss McNeil looked at Joyce, "I'll leave you to say goodbye to your father." She said to Joyce. "Then I want you to come right back in and start on those sums again."

"Yes Miss McNeil." Joyce said obediently.

Miss McNeil turned and walked into the schoolroom closing the door behind her.

Joyce looked to her daddy for a moment before she giggled at him leaping into his now open arms. He lifted her in his arms squeezing her closely. "Do you think this will help your practice daddy?" he asked him pulling back and kissing him on the cheek.

Gilbert smiled and looked at her "I dare say it will." He agreed.

"Good." She said decisively. "You are the bestest doctor there could ever be." She said looking at him. "And I want the whole town to know."

Gilbert had no way of knowing the girls father was on the Village committee. Once Gilbert had diagnosed his daughter correctly and given medication for the diagnosis given a fair doctors bill to the family, Mr Holden was sure Mrs Holden sent over the biggest lemon meringue pie Joyce had ever seen. He also convinced the members of the village committee to recommend Doctor Blythe as the village doctor. That they would recommend him.

Doctor Gilbert Blythe was very in demand very quickly. The older generation was impressed with the 'young doctors knowledge' and all proclaimed their foreknowledge of his abilities although none had actually voiced them in the years they were growing up. Gilbert's and Anne's peers claimed to know he was always capable even though they were surprised by the Blythe's and the Shirley's methods it was obvious it had worked in this case and every child soon knew who Joyce Blythe was, she was the Doctor's daughter, and Joyce Blythe, couldn't be happier.


	17. In a moment

Anne loved it when Gilbert pressed his _whole_ body against hers. It was better with no clothes on, but in the mid of day between classes they never had the time to get fully intimate, and even then he would leave before even one of them felt the full benefit of the act. She knew as well they were in a privileged position in some ways. Not many husbands and wives got to run home from their responsibilities mid-way through the day for some quick intimacy, usually at their age at least one of them would be working.

She had soon found the 'wives' club at college. She liked them as people but certainly not their attitudes towards their husband. All she had learnt from them could be summed up by saying 'all a husband wants is intimacy and its our job to control it, otherwise they'll want it all the time.'

She relaxed further as his lips reached on her neck just behind her ear she gasped in delight. "Gil…" she whispered enthralled in the feeling.

He stopped and pulled back a moment "I thought you might like that." He said in a low tone. "I really wanted to know what you thought of this?" He said as his hand brought her skirt up her leg then his hand slipped beneath the skirts. She giggled in delight as he went back to his former kisses to her neck and he pressed further into her. He stopped and chuckled at the second gasp she let out.

This didn't impress Anne where she decided enough was enough and she rolled him beneath her and teased "Oh you mock me, it's your turn now Mr Blythe." She whispered to him, where upon she started a likewise play on him. He gasped at her play and she giggled and pulled back. "When you said let's get a sandwich, I thought you meant the food." She 0said biting her bottom lip.

"I did!" he exclaimed, "You started it."

"I did not!" she protested.

"Did too." He defended. "You had to stand there and look so irresistible." He said holding her by the waist to which she giggled.

"Oh so that's the excuse for my ear and my waist…" she started

"And my behind and hair…" he teased

"And sweeping me up in your arms…" she laughed to which he soon joined in and he laughed into her still covered chest. "Oh love…" he whispered. "I don't want to move." He whispered.

"Neither do I." She whispered kissing to his curls. "But…" she smiled looking down at him "how are we ever meant to learn if we don't."  
"I'm sure we could teach each other a thing or two." He said with a cheeky wink to her pulling her closer. She laughed and kissed him again.

"Okay, we need to learn things that we cannot teach each other." She said to him. "Though I can't imagine that." She took a deep breath and looked at him. "Do you have finals to study for?" she asked him.

"Hm." He acknowledged. "Advanced Chem and Biology," he sighed "They both have two exams, two of them are multi choice but the other two are written papers…" he started as she leaned over to the books on the bedside table. He smiled as she pulled up the book as she sat on his knee his hands still under her skirt. "I don't mean now!" he exclaimed.

"Well I do." She told him as if he were a little boy again "I won't have you failing because you're too busy flirting with me to notice your academia go slowly down the drain."

"Nan, don't be ridiculous, you know you've always inspired me not held me back, if memory serves me correctly it was you who convinced me to go to school in the first place."

She rolled her eyes "You were six and I told you, you legally had to go to school, you had no choice."

"There's always a choice Nan…" he started.

"Oh hush now." She bossed him, to which he smiled. "Now on the Mendeleev's Periodic table, how many elements are there?" she asked Gilbert.

"56," he said confidently. "Each are arranged by mass of the element." He said confidently. "But there are gaps you know, where the element has not been found yet, did you know they are finding them at a rate of one per a year! That's 20 elements found since the table was written." He said with a lopsided grin. "And we are expected to keep up with it you know." He said with a deep breath "Isn't it exciting!?" he exclaimed.

Anne smiled at him "It is." She agreed. "and I love you for being so excited about something so small!" she proclaimed.

"One day you'll be thankful instead of mocking me for it." He said his lips twisting.

"Maybe." She agreed flicking the page again. "How many groups?" she asked him.

"Eight." He answered.

"Can you name all the ones in group two?" she asked him.

"Beryllium, Magnesium, Calcium, Zinc, Strontium, Cadmium…. Um… wait I know it." He said, Anne grinned as she waited for the answer her spare hand tucked under his trousers playing with the side of his hip. He looked at her saucily "That's' not going to help me to get the right answer." He said relaxing into the feeling.

"That's what I was hoping for." She giggled kissing his nose. "play time." She flirted.

"Not for me." He played reaching for his pocket watch "I have class in…" he started opening the watch "Oh no!" he exclaimed "Nan!" he exclaimed shuffling her off him.

"Hey!" she protested at the sudden movement as he bounced of the bed straightening himself up tucking in himself.

"I sorry love." He said grabbing his books "I have Jameson in five minutes." He told her.

"Oh." Anne agreed "You don't want to be late for his lectures!" Anne said with a knowing smile.

"We can finish this tonight." He said kissing into her hair. "Promise me?" he asked her.

"Promise." She said with a smile.

He turned and headed out, opening the door to leave he called "Barium and Mercury."*

* * *

He came in that night to a dancing Anne. He smiled although he was tired as she dance around like a woodland fairy. "Anne?" he said in amazement.

"My book!" she exclaimed. "my book its here!" she said reaching into a box and brining one out and giving it to him. "Its black and white and I'll make very little from it, but its mine!" she smiled.

He looked down at the book and smiled opening the pages and read the inscription.

 _To My Mother for telling me I can be whatever I want to be._

 _To My Papa for showing me how._

 _And Gilbert my soulmate, no matter what._

"Me?" he asked her amazed.

She stopped and looked at him seriously. "How could I not?" she asked him. "You've been with me since before my first step… I…" she took a breath and looked him in the eyes. "…I, can't imagine what I would be without you." She sighed. "Actually, I imagine it would be that thing I was with Royal." She said with a sigh. "For that alone I owe you…"

"Nothing." He said taking her by her hands. "I love you."

She smiled looking down to their hands. "I love you too." She blushed as if it were the first time it was said. "I made chicken casserole for dinner she smiled coyly at him.

"My favourite!" he smiled.

"Well she has to keep you happy somehow." Bertha teased them. "Though I don't think she has any problems with that." She laughed.

"That true enough." Gilbert said with a wink to Anne. "Is it ready?" he asked.

"You were right by the way." She said to him "At lunch time the last two elements." She said smiling at him. "We were studying the periodic table."

"I'm sure you were." Bertha said with a smile to them as she sat on her rocking chair. "We need more wood from the fire Anne, would you mind going and getting some firewood from the shed outside?" She asked of her daughter.

"Oh no." Gilbert objected quickly putting the book down and beating Anne to the container. "Let me." He said with a kiss to his wife he left the house swinging the container in his hand.

Anne looked after him watching him as he went out, he'd been doing that a lot lately. Jumping up to do things he didn't necessarily need to do. She sighed after him, she only hoped he wasn't working too hard.

*Note: The periodic table was not in the order we know now, at the time the table was known as described above and all these elements were surprisingly in the same group. My brain really started to hurt when I tried to understand how! Its just the way science was understood... How far we've come!


	18. The storm is breaking

**Hey CatieGirl... thanks ;-)**

* * *

 _ **F**_

"Where is she Gil?" Anne asked anxious about the whereabouts of their eldest child.

"I'm sure the schoolmiss dismissed school as soon as they had warning of the storm approaching…"

"But we didn't have any!" Anne exclaimed worried "Neither did she." Anne continued. "Oh but what if she didn't know how bad it was going to be and dismissed the class and Joy is out there in the woods all alone!" she panicked. "Oh Gilbert she's not like us!" she continued, "what if she's all alone out there!"

Gilbert took a deep breath trying to remain calm for her. "okay." He agreed as he headed through the living room into the dining room and through the kitchen to the cloak room.

"Where are you going?" She asked him amazed.

He slipped on his coat and looked at Anne. "You're kidding me, right?" he asked her.

"You can't go out in that!" she told him. "You have another child and one on the way!" Anne exclaimed.

Gilbert's eyes rolled slightly at Anne and he deliberately let out a heavy sigh. "What will you have me do then?" he asked her outright.

Anne looked at him trying to quiz it out inside her head before she said "Will you be safe?" she asked him.

"I know these woods like the back of my hand." Gilbert smiled kissing her on her forehead. He looked back to Bertha and said to her "Keep her sane while I'm gone."

* * *

It was within half an hour that Gilbert returned with both Joyce and a little boy following her in tow.

"Look what I found!" Gilbert said with a smile before Anne wrapped her arms around Joyce.

"Oh Joy! Joy!" She exclaimed. "Oh I was so worried!" she cried.

"Oh Mamma you had no real need to send daddy out for me!" Joy tried to explain.

"Oh?" She asked.

"Harmon was with me, his house is just outside of town so we were walking the same way." Joy explained. "When the storm was coming Miss dismissed us but we were in the woods quite deeply before it started very bad. Harmon was a real gentlemen and gave me his hat and scarf and told me to stay close." She stopped as Anne took of the said clothes articles and looked up to the boy who was with them.

"Harmon," she said looking closer at the boy "As in Andrews?" she asked him. "Are you Billy's boy?" she asked.

"That's right." He confirmed. "Pappy said he knew you both at school." He said looking to the doctor and Anne. "He said that you two were right all along bout girls and boys being able to be friends and I like the look of your Joy, she's real friendly looking." He told them.

"So we were coming back through the woods, we decided we were going to hide in the old shack by the river when daddy found us." Joyce informed her mother. "I must say although it would have been fun to spend some time with a new friend in that shack I'm glad daddy found us, it started to get real bad as we got here."

Anne smiled. "Well I'm glad your both safe." She said genuinely. "And Harmon thank you, what gentlemanly behaviour you've shown today. You best stay here with us until the storm passes."

"I'm going to nail down the windows Nan." Gilbert said to Anne.

"Can I help Doctor Blythe?" Harmon offered.

Gilbert's bottom lip protruded and he nodded to the boy. The boy immediately went to Gilbert's side as Gilbert opened the door Joyce objected

"Harmon wait!" She took the scarf and his hat off her mother then went to him wrapping the scarf around his neck tightly and placing the cap on his head. "You don't want to catch cold." She told him with a smile.

Harmon smiled then nodded quickly before Anne called to her daughter "How about we make some hot cocoa for the men coming back in?" Anne asked her. Joyce immediately nodded and joined her mother's side.

Gilbert opened the door and let the boy head out first, Joyce already heading to the kitchen Anne's eyes played with his in amusement at the pair. Gilbert's eyes rolled slightly as Anne's widened slightly and she chuckled before Gilbert turned his head and went out into the storm.

* * *

It was ten at night before the storm settled. Both Joyce and Harmon and fallen asleep in the living room, neither one of them had been conscious when Gilbert went out to town to get Harmon's father.

"All I can say," Billy said to Gilbert as they entered the house "is thank goodness he was with Joyce."

Gilbert nodded in agreement. "Yes I was glad they at least had each other." He agreed. "It was very brave of Harmon to help Joyce."

"Well, he never likes to see anyone alone." Billy said. "Credit to the boy, I'm not sure where he gets it. It's a shame really that this is the most direct route back to our farm, but he's right go around the other way it takes half an hour more from the school house." He admitted.

"Well I'm glad we can put your Nettie's mind at ease." Gilbert smiled. "Really anytime…" Gilbert started as they entered the living room and saw the two sleeping. Joyce and wrapped herself in her grandmothers rocking chair and Harmon was on the sofa. Gilbert started to whisper "… he's more than welcome anytime, your raising a gentleman there." Gilbert said softly to Billy.

"Thanks." Billy said with a smile to Anne as he passed her to pick up his boy "That's down to Nettie." He admitted. "Joyce and her brother are more then welcome." He said in return. "Any damage?" he asked them.

"Not so far." Anne said softly.

"I think we're protected by the trees." Gilbert admitted "As long as they don't fall on the house then we are okay."

"Lucky I suppose." Billy agreed.

"Any damage with you?" Bertha asked Billy.

"just a broken window, nothing else." Billy admitted.

"I should head into the village in the morning Nan, see if anyone needs any medical assistance. "

"the village board will no doubt be having an emergency meeting in the morning." Billy said with a nod.

"we should make a stew and head over, offer a warm meal to anyone in need and any one repairing the damage." Anne suggested outloud.

"what a lovely idea." Bertha smiled as Gilbert nodded "and free medical assistance to anyone who needs it."

Billy smiled. "Ah you have my life in your hands any day Gil." He admitted. "Doctor Spate is a real good man but he doesn't take nicely to any new developments in medicine." Billy admitted. "I don't profess meself to be clever like you and Anne here but I reckon they made advances on purpose to help folks, by not training in em, the old doc is doing a mis-service to the community, no matter how well intended."

"Thanks Billy." Gilbert said with a smile. "That means a lot."


	19. Strain and load

_**P**_

Anne woke in bed and reached over to where Gilbert usually lay. She had an uneasy nightmare and just wanted to snuggle right into her husband, but as she reached for him she found an empty pillow where his head should lay and empty bedsheets beside her. She sat up confused and looked round their small room as if she would find some clue as to where he was there.

She was now, finally in her final year and Gilbert had just started on his second year at the university. Gilbert had won a well sort after scholarship taking care of his fees for the early part of the year and he had worked throughout the summer back in Avonlea for the money for his books, leaving a small sum to pay towards living costs once they got back to school. It hadn't just been most of the summer, Anne reflected but literally the day after they got back he was in a farmer's field working from 8am until 8pm, he came in red from the soil and so tired he had often fell asleep right on the sofa, rarely making it back to bed. Neither Anne nor Bertha had complained at his efforts he worked hard, but the money was low and Anne had made more out of her book then he did in a month of labouring. He had come back to college more tired than when he left, both Anne and Bertha had noticed, neither one of them were stupid but he carried on nonetheless. Working himself to the bone to help.

She shuffled out of bed wrapping the blanket she had crocketed around herself to keep her warm as she moved room to room as she slowly opened the door the sight she saw was a familiar one. Gilbert with his boyish looks flopped back on the sofa his head on the cushions behind him, a book open on his chest one hand holding it to him, the other laying parallel to his body. She walked to him slowly and played with the curls in his head before he jumped awake.

"Its okay." She whispered. "Its just me."

"Nan." He whispered sleepily, Anne couldn't help but notice the glazed over tiredness in his eyes.

"I woke without a husband in bed with me." She said softly "I thought the whole idea of marrying was so that no one could separate us."

"They aren't!" Gilbert defended quickly.

Anne looked at him wide eyed and for one of the few times in their whole relationship surprised at him. "Gilbert sweetheart I was teasing." She whispered. "Come to bed, it's the middle of the night and you're tired to the bone. Come to bed and you can relax in my arms." She offered.

He looked at her sleepily "I'm sorry." He whispered.

"Its okay." She told him. "Come on come to bed."

He reached for her hand which she held out and felt as her hand gripped to his gently leading him back to their room.

He took off his jumper shirt and trousers and gently slid into the sheets next to Anne.

"My blanket." He whispered hugging into her, she put the blanket over the two of them and a small grin appeared on his lips "not that one." He whispered and he squeezed her in closer "This one."

"You mean your wife?" she smiled.

"I love you." He whispered sleepily, Anne wasn't sure if he was sure of what he was saying as seconds later he was fast asleep. She snuggled into him further and kissed into his curls. Right now, he just needed to sleep.

* * *

Gilbert tried to show his best enthusiasm in the job interview. He had smiled in the all the right places and given well trained responses. The column was a small one but it was a weekly one, giving him a small income on that, then he would work as a printer there the rest of the week. He could work around school and it would mean he was contributing _something_.

He came in to find Anne standing in the kitchen helping her mother. Gilbert carefully put down her knife and danced her round the little room.

"Gil!" She laughed in his arms.

"I'm so happy Anne!" he exclaimed kissing her squarely on the lips, it gave Anne such a shock when he pulled back Anne's mouth was ajar. "I got a job!" Gilbert exclaimed.

Both Anne and Bertha stood amazed looking at him. It was a second or two before either one of them spoke.

"You what?" Bertha asked.

"There's no need to sound so surprised." Gilbert asked to Bertha. "We need the money, you know that."

"I know but a job? Gilbert how are you going to hold down a job and your football team and the lambs socials and still be a student and learn?" she asked him.

"I can manage, I can do it."

"Can you though Gil?" Bertha continued "You're strained as it…"

"I said I can do it!" he snapped. "Anne back me up!?" he turned to her looking her in the eyes, it was there he saw it in her eyes too. The look of shock on her face, the utter disbelief. "Nan?" he questioned. "You too?"

"Gil," she whispered before she continued.

He pulled back in shock looking at the two of them. "Fine then!" he proclaimed before he walked towards his bedroom "Be like that!" he said slamming the door behind him.

Bertha looked at her daughter and whispered "He's working himself too hard."

"I know." Anne said quietly. "But I don't think we could convince him of that." She said out rightly. They paused for a minute before Anne continued, "You know what this reminds me of?" she asked, Bertha shrugged. "When he wouldn't go to school for the first time." Anne said quietly. "He was quite determined he wasn't going to school." She whispered.

"He's not six anymore Anne." Her mother warned her.

"I know." She agreed. She paused again for a while before she continued, "if he's really determined to do this, maybe we should let him."

"Anne!" her mother exclaimed.

"I know but ma…" she said quietly. "You know how he worked to protect us those two years, he kept his promise to papa, he needs to do this and he will find a way." Anne said to her mother. They were silent for another moment before Anne said quietly "I'll go and talk to him." Anne said quietly.

She went into the bedroom and stood in the doorway for a moment "I suppose you're going to tell me how stupid I'm being like your mother?" he said to her.

"Don't tell me what I'll do." She said straight to him. "You know I don't take kindly to it."

He turned and looked at her. "Nan." He whispered then chuckled as she came and sat next to him on the bed.

"You shouldn't shock us like that Gil." She said quietly to him "we were just surprised and you know ma doesn't know you like I do." She said pretending to side out of sheer concern for him. He needed to believe she was on his side. "I love you." She said honestly "and my mother loves you too." She continued "What she said she said out of love." She said taking his hand in hers.

He sighed and looked down at their hands "I know." He concurred. "Sorry." He whispered.

"You need to apologise to mamma, not me." She reminded him.

"I know." He admitted. "I will."

They rubbed their noses together then kissed gently "No matter what remember?" Anne asked him.

"Yeah, no matter what." He agreed.

"So…" Anne said with a smile "tell me love, what's the job?"


	20. Finding a place

_**F**_

"Edith!" Mr Pye exclaimed in surprise as he came into the town hall mid-day the next day. "What's going on here?" he asked.

Edith was a shy, mothering member of the villiage council who had been the person opening up when the Blythe's had arrived.

To be fair for once in their lives a Pye had every reason to be surprised. The Village hall looked less like a village hall and more like a hospital, soup kitchen and a social group all rolled into one.

"Malcolm…" She started. "Well just hear me out." She started.

"This isn't a place of business, tell these people to find somewhere else to do their business!" he continued. "Who did this?"

"The Shirley's and the Blythe's but…" she started.

"I should have known…"

"Just wait!" she protested. "Its not a business they are doing it for free."

"Free?" Malcolm questioned her.

"Yes." Edith pulled him to a corner. "Mrs Blythe…"

"You can't go calling her that Edith you know it was unholy whatever happened between them…"

"Anne, Gilbert and Bertha came in here this morning for anyone in need of any help with regards to the storm, any injuries you can see Doctor Blythe is taking care of, Bertha is cooking the broth for everyone here, Anne is both follow up appointments for Doctor Blythe and rallying the other women to help and even little Joy Blythe is entertaining the children, now I don't think anything unholy happened there Malcolm." She said softly. "Just look at how well they all work together and how happy little Joy is."

"She writes those fool columns all the young girls like to read, she fancies herself above her station, three stories in the past six weeks, three! Josie says it unholy" he exclaimed. "He shouldn't let it happen at all!" he said glaring at the young doctor.

"Yet they are offering their services for free."

"Yes, I'm sure and making sure they have plenty of new patients."

"The doctor is doing this no matter who the family doctor is or will be in the future." She told him which silenced him on the matter. "Some people believe in gestures of good will Malcolm." She took a sigh "now if you don't mind ex-mayor I need to speak to the Young Mrs Doctor Blythe." She said walking away from Malcolm Pye.

"… yes Russel will be round tomorrow at 2pm to fit that glass for you and Andrew will be round at 4pm to put a temporary fix on the roof until he can come back and repair it. Now remember what Doctor Blythe has told you about those stitches, you need a follow up within a month with either him or your regular…

"Oh no Mrs Blythe, please can Doctor Blythe?" the women asked her.

Anne smiled kindly "of course." She agreed. "How about the Thursday of the week commencing the 21st?" she questioned flicking forward in one of the three diaries she had open.

"Yes please." The women answered Anne wrote in the diary. "Thank you, Mrs Blythe."

"please…" Anne said with a smile "Call me Anne, won't you?" she smiled. "I'll get Doctor Blythe to send you a reminder for your appointment." She nodded held the women by her arm for a second and squeezed it lightly before she walked towards Edith.

"Well Mrs Doctor dearest you certainly have the knack for organisation!" Edith said with a smile to her.

"Oh, no not me." Anne admitted. "What I am good at is writing things down." Anne said with a laugh.

"Oh that's all that organisation is Mrs…"

"Please call me Anne." She said. "I don't mind being Mrs Blythe but being called it only makes me feel old at the grand old age of twenty-seven." She said with a chuckle "Good heavens am I really…" she said trying again to calculate it.

"A spring chicken my dear, and I bet that husband of yours will have you live a long and healthy life."

Anne smiled "Gilbert is an exceptional doctor, even right now not even six months out of medical school." She said with a grin. "Who knows what experience will do with him!"

"Its not just your husband you ought to be proud of, you have your mother and your children, I see one thing they all have in common." She said with a smile to Anne. "The members of the villiage board are impressed Anne, I have spoken to them all throughout the day and this informal setting…" she said looking around "and we feel you are just what we need."

Anne looked at her confused. "Excuse me, I'm afraid I don't follow."

"We need someone like you on the village committee, and with all the Pye's now off the board…" she said as if it were a sigh of relief, "we would like to ask if you would consider the position?" she asked Anne.

"Me, Edith?" she said shocked. "Are you sure you want someone like me…"

"Someone who can communicate her ideas and ideals, who inspires, someone who is strong and independent yet is gentle and empathic at the same time. Someone who has experienced life, someone who has an interest in the community. I'd say you match all of these."

Anne blushed slightly "I also ditched a man at the alter and ran away and married my best friend."

"Which means you don't just settle." Edith defended.

"…and I write stories for the newspaper, I know people don't like…"

"…it shows you have imagination which means you can think of things different from what they are, oh please say yes Anne. We're all just dying to get to know you and your growing family more?"

* * *

"Well I think it's a splendid idea!" Gilbert said with a smile to his wife as he brushed her hair that night readying for bed. "You did say, yes right?" he asked her.

"I said I would think about it." She said quietly. "I don't know if I could do it Gilbert." She admitted.

"Why ever not?!" he asked her putting the brush on her vanity table and sitting down on the bed his hands levering him up.

"As much as I'm sure Edith does like me, I'm also sure she's being kind." Anne said as she plaited up her hair ready for bed. "I'm not exactly the model of the Avonlea women."

Gilbert chuckled as he crawled up the bed as she walked round and got into bed. "Maybe that's their problem." He said with a grin. "I always preferred your type." He said with a smile to her "You are the epitome of your whole gender." He kissed her hand gently "look, I know you think you've done unforgivable things in the past, but really there is nothing in our past which condemns you quite the way you condemn yourself." He whispered.

"Oh, I know I've done nothing shameful exactly." She whispered back as he put his hand on her stomach feeling his child within it. "Just I know how women like me are viewed."

"Psh posh!" he exclaimed, "All pioneers are considered to be afflicted with moonstruck madness." He said straight. "We are part of the generation who can change the world with our revolutionary ideas."

"The world?" she questioned with a sweet laugh not meaning to mock.

"Alright, maybe we'll start with Avonlea." He whispered with a twinkle in his eyes.

She smiled at him and said quietly "I'm so glad you're my best friend." She told him with a light kiss and the lips.

"No matter what remember?" he asked her.

"yeah." She confirmed as she snuggled into his chest as he slid down the bed to lie down to sleep. "You know what I think?" she said sleepily.

"What do you think Nan?" he asked equally as tired.

"I don't think they'll be many more nights where I get to go to sleep in your arms." She admitted. "I think you'll be out saving the world."

He chuckled before he said "You won't mind if I say I hope so?" he asked her.

"No." she said quietly. "You were born to be a doctor, it's part of the deal." She admitted.

"I love you." He whispered with a satisfied sigh as he closed his eyes.

"I love you too." She whispered. "Good night love."


	21. A Kept Man

Its funny I called these "Shorter follow ups" Well it doesn't seem like they are! Its fun all the same!

* * *

 ** _P_**

Anne sighed as she looked herself in the mirror. She was now weeks away from graduating, she should have been ecstatic. At last she would have the things she sought for the moment she heard about the scholarship at Queens.

Instead she felt decisively deflated.

Gilbert had become increasingly distant of late. Anne couldn't remember the last time they had fallen asleep together. He was out late and out early. He claimed to be in classes she knew he didn't have and then after football games instead of running over and lifting her onto the pitch with him and peppering her with kisses, he would fall back go into the changing rooms, Anne had at first waited a good hour for him to reappear the first three times.

Anne hadn't believed it herself at first, maybe he was just busy and had other things on his mind, she remembered her sophomore year had been so much harder than the first, she had justified he was working hard exercising hard, studying hard.

But then the little things were dropped. The way he'd cuddle into her back as she was cutting vegetables, or the way they'd meet under the bedcovers to share their burdens or even holding her as she slept.

So she had tried harder.

Maybe it had been her? Maybe _she_ had been the distant one? So one night while they studied at the table she had reached for his higher inner thigh, just to hold as they were studying, they used to often. It had stayed there for a second before he told her "I've got to get this done Anne." So, she tried again the next day, she stayed up waiting for him to come home, finally at eleven he walked in the bedroom took off his shirt shoes and trousers when Anne had tried to cuddle him he simply turned on his side "Not tonight Anne, I'm exhausted!" he told her.

That's when she knew.

He was having an affair.

She pulled herself up from in front of the mirror and went into the living area to prepare dinner for that night.

Getting married had been a horrible mistake.

She should have seen it coming. The other wives warned her of it, but their heeding's had fell on deaf ears.

 _"_ _He's in_ _ **how**_ _many clubs?"_

 _"_ _Oh that's way too many."_

 _"_ _I'd be reeling those in if were you."_

 _"_ _Why?" She had asked thinking they were being strange._

 _"_ _The more clubs he goes to, the more likely he is to cheat."_

 _"_ _You should make him drop the football, they all kiss their girlfriends on the side-line."_

 _"_ _Or the lambs, what some girls would do to be with a lamb."_

 _"_ _Gilbert wouldn't cheat on me." Anne had said._

They had laughed at her.

Physically laughed.

And now she knew why.

It was then Gilbert entered the house. He lay on the sofa and said "I finished Walder's essay on Chaucer's The wife of Bath's tale." He sighed.

Anne sighed heavily which made Gilbert question her "Are you alright Anne?"

She paused and looked at him, she didn't know what to say, or even how to approach the subject "Where were you last night?" she asked him.

The tips of his ears turned red as he said "I told you I was at work."

"Until 10:30 at night? At a newspaper?" she questioned. He looked at her wide eyed and she shook her head. "Stop lying to me Gil." She whispered. She steadied her breathing then in a continued whisper asked "who is she Gil?"

Gilbert looked at her perplexed. "You think I'm having an affair?" he asked her.

"What am I supposed to think?!" she finally snapped. "You're never here and when you are you might as well not be your so absent." She started crying "No newspaper is open until ten half ten eleven at night…"

"That's because I'm not at the newspaper!" he shouted.

"Then you admit it!" she cried.

"That I'm not at the newspaper yes." He said. "But not to an affair."

"Then where are you then?" Anne wailed.

"I got another job!" he shouted.

There was a blind silence in the room between them. "You what?" she questioned.

He took a deep breath and sat back on the sofa. "I have another job." He said again.

She moved round next to him and sat beside him. "Another job? Other than the newspaper?" she asked him.

"Yes." He said taking a sigh.

"but why?" she asked him.

He stood again and paced the room for a moment before he stood still and look at Anne "because _I_ wanted to provide!" he exclaimed in a frustrated shout.

Anne looked at him perplexed for a moment "but we do provide, we work together…" she started.

"No, you and your ma do!" he cried before is hand went to his face then through his hair. His body exhausted sat in the rocking chair behind him, his head in his hands.

"Sweetheart…" Anne started moving towards him sitting in front of the chair putting her hand on his knee.

"Do you know what it's like?" he asked her. "Being a kept man." He sighed letting a sob out "I might as well not be a man at all." He whispered.

"Who _told_ you that?" Anne asked him.

"The boys on the football team, in the lambs, in class, the milkman." He listed in dismay. "You make more money with _one_ of your stories in the newspaper then I do in a month!"

Anne sighed "But I don't get published every month, we need a steady income too."

"Which your ma is providing…"

"And you…"

"Pennies, even compared to your mother's wage! Don't you get it! I was a teacher I made enough to provide even a little and now…" he sighed and took her hands "The newspaper is fine, its not a lot I certainly couldn't provide for…" he blushed and looked at Anne bringing her to sit on his knee as they rocked back and forward on the chair and he brought his hand to her stomach and gazed at her lovingly. "What if a family comes along?" he asked her.

She smiled and looked at his hand on her stomach. "One day Gilbert…" she whispered. For the first time in months she kissed into his hair smelling the fresh manly scent of him. "You should have told me about the second job." She said quietly.

"I didn't want to after I almost forced you to choose sides the last time and I didn't want that look on your mother's face." He sighed.

Anne giggled then looked at him "it would only be a look of concern." She whispered. "She loves you Gil, she's worried about you..." Anne sighed and looked at him "As am I." she said.

"I know." He replied quietly.

"So…" she started "So what's the job?" she asked him.

He smiled for a moment "A waiter." He said quietly she looked at him surprised before she cuddled back into him. "Did you really think I was having an affair?" he asked her.

"You were gone hours at a time, too tired to talk to even…" she blushed before she whispered "…play."

He looked sadly before he whispered "I wanted to get you a fancy dress for your convocation." He told her, she looked at him amazed for a moment before he said "the pretty green one in the window of Clarke's." he whispered.

Anne smiled "That's a pretty dress." She agreed.

"Would look even prettier on you." He whispered. "Or even… off you." He flirted.

"Is this really about being a kept man?" she asked him. He looked at her for a moment and blushed away. "I didn't know it bothered you." She said. "So much for being a feminist." She teased.

"I _am_ a feminist!" he defended. "I want to provide for my women, is that so bad?" he asked her.

Anne giggle and looked him in the eyes. "No love, it's a sign of the man who you will be when you've gone through medical school and you set up a practice, that you will work hard for your family to provide for us." She admitted. "But in order to get that far, we have to go through this period of time when it's not you solely providing for us."

"Seven years." He muttered. "It's a long time."

"And when we come out of the other side and you're a doctor and you've been practicing for seven years you'll look back and think 'really? That's short time was seven years?' And you'll wonder where the time has gone." She looked at him lovingly and whispered "and then when you're old and grey and all our children have grown you'll realise it was just temporary, all of this, living here like this is only temporary." She hugged into him closer and whispered in his ear "and you'll be the big strong handsome provider for our family." She flirted with him.

He chuckled at her flirt feeling his Nan in his arms again, being playful. "I've missed this." He admitted quietly. His mouth lay near her ear so he kissed her there before he let his teeth nibble at her earlobe. She giggled happily there before he whispered "I would never cheat on you Nan." He told her gently. "I'm _so_ sorry I shut you out so far that you thought I had."

She kissed him then, like she hadn't for months, it reassured her that his reactions were as they always had been as she snuggled more into him. "We have some time now." She whispered to him. "Wanna play?" she asked him.

He didn't miss a beat. He immediately swooped her up playfully as she giggled for him, the game they played took them to their bedroom and their clothes lay on the floor. It had taken for Bertha to come back in from work that evening to distract them from their play. They hurriedly got some clothes on and had some food before they went and had a much longed for early night.


	22. Mother knows best

Hi Folks!

So just to talk about the comments again from last time.

 **Original McFishie** : You know it isn't like Gilbert to care what other people think, he's had Anne as a best friend his whole life as well remember. But I think there's something to be said about the kinds of pressure there would have been to 'be a man' (even now its present) but back then it would have been dire! Men were literally mocked at for being a 'kept man' regardless of the situation, the disabled and sick were seen as 'lesser men' for not working. For him to be 'kept' by his mother in law and his wife, the kinds of social pressure he would encounter would be immense and he always in the books seemed very proud of the fact that he could 'keep' his wife. I mean they waited three years of medical school for the chance But that sort of bombardment would get to any sensitive soul and he is one! Even in the books he's sensitive, as **Catie** said you could argue of course that the whole thing is silly, but perspective is a powerful thing and **oldmoviewatcher** said it was about his insecurities as equally as it was about Anne's irrational ones.

This one is for all of us who likes it when Josie shoots herself in the foot then has to amend her actions later

* * *

 _ **F**_

Josie walked down Avonlea Village her head held high, she wasn't actually in town for any reason, well one reason and it was very self-serving. Josie was pushing a baby doll carriage.

Her, and her very rich husband had just had their first child a boy, who lay in the most expensive carriage there had been, and her baby for once was asleep.

And Josie, wanted people to see what a wonderful mother she was.

She came into the tearooms where she stood and watched Anne for a moment before she walked over.

"Josie." Anne said with a tried and tested smile. "Congratulations." Anne said with a smile to the little baby.

"Oh a baby!" Walter exclaimed looking in the pram. "Mamma has one in her tummy!" Walter commented.

"Oh." Josie said obviously put out by the information. "I didn't know that, you don't look pregnant."

"I'm only five months gone, and I've never put on much weight in pregnancy." She admitted.

"I put on loads!" Josie exclaimed at her achievement "The doctor said the bigger the mammy the healthier the baby!"

Anne smiled "The doctors out in Kingsport said I put on plenty, though every pregnancy is different, or so they told me." Anne continued "what did you call him?"

"Henry." Josie said with a smile.

"Henry." Anne repeated. "well a lovely name for a lovely boy."

Just at that moment he began to cry.

"Oh, Oh Henry!" she hushed overbearingly in a high pitched panic. "Oh sweetheart don't cry." She tried as the baby continued to cry. She picked the child up as he cried she got more and more frustrated. "Oh why can't you shut up!" she cried finally hysterically.

"Here Josie." Anne said softly offering her open arms to the child.

"I can't see how you could make any difference." She admitted handing Anne the child. "All he ever does is cry." She mooded.

Anne held the child up in her arms shushing him gently "Oh, oh it's such a hard world isn't it Henry!? So hard for such a small little man." She reassured him in a low soft voice. He stopped and looked wide eyed at her "But you know little man, one day you will grow to be big and strong and this will be such a small moment in your history." She said to him before he let out a huge burp. "Oh!" Anne laughed "Oh is that what the matter is?" she asked him as he let out a small laugh. "There now." She said lying him in her arms rocking him gently back and forth "Is that better on your tummy?" she asked him.

"How did you do that?!" Josie exclaimed in a high-pitched voice which disrupted her son for a moment before Anne spoke softly

"It's just practice Mamma." She soothed him. "Try speaking in soft singing tones." Anne advised "and they like being rocked gently too." Anne stood with baby in arms and gave him gently to Josie.

"Is that all you want?" she asked the baby who for the first time seemed to settle at his mother's voice. "It is?" she questioned. "how?!" she asked Anne looking up.

Anne laughed "I had some practice you know." Anne admitted "and teething in midterms was always fun." She said.

"Oh, I suppose so." Josie said.

"As for his tummy, I think he has a touch of colic." Anne suggested. "You could try holding him over your knees rubbing his back until he burps it helps."

Josie swallowed, she'd be damned before she took any advice from Anne Shirley. "You know you haven't changed, you were always a know it all in school too." She said spitefully putting the baby back in the carriage.

Anne blushed red, "It was only a suggestion Josie, mother to mother."

"Oh, and some mother you are." Josie continued "What an example to set, ditching a man at the alter then stealing the best-looking boy in town and taking him for yourself! You know some of us would have killed for a chance with Gilbert."

Anne cheeks deepened in the red. "I'm sorry if I spoke out of line…"

"But then you always were so desperately in love with him, we all know you strung him along then to elope, well you don't have to imagine."

Anne swallowed and she acutely aware people were watching.

"Do you want to know what I think really happened?" Josie told her. "I think you and Gilbert had sex before you walked down the alter to that other fellow, then you couldn't pass the child off as his and so Gilbert married and you to stop you feeling disgraced."

"No, Josie that's not what happened." Anne said quietly.

"And then _you_ lost _it_ and he was _stuck_ with _you_." She continued in a jealous rage.

Anne couldn't actually find it in her to speak.

"Poor Gilbert." Josie said before she marched away.

* * *

"Josie always was a sour puss Nan. "Gilbert told Anne straight that evening as Anne Gilbert and Bertha sat out on the veranda.

"Gilbert this was more then a playground spat, what must people think! She practically screamed it in the middle of the tea rooms, everyone was watching!"

"Everyone knows you can't trust a word that comes out of a Pye's mouth." Gilbert countered "And Josie is the worse for it! She never understood that a man and a woman weren't _just_ made for having sex together."

"It's not what Josie thinks that bothers me." Anne muttered her arms crossing in front of her.

"No one who knows either you or Gilbert would actually believe that." Bertha added. "Come on Anne, even I know Josie is jealous."

"But why?!" Anne exclaimed.

"Because you always had what she wanted." Gilbert told her straight. "You had the brains, you had the boys fighting for your attention, you had the conversation skills, you had me you had the babies and now its becoming clear that you're the better mother."

"Not to mention the village committee has always had a Pye on until now…" Bertha observed. "A seat normally reserved for them…"

"Given to you." Gilbert ended. "Because you have the broader perspective, because you will think of the village before your own agender."

"I don't think any Pye can." Bertha said with a smile to Anne.

"They won't want me now that gossip is out and about, I knew I would pay for my stupid behaviour one day." Anne huffed.

Gilbert put his arm around her and cuddled her in kissing her atop of her head before they heard the phone ringing inside. "That will probably be for me." He said with a shrug

"remember the good old days when people had to call on the doctor?" Anne joked.

"Vital seconds." Gilbert said with a smile going inside the house.

Bertha smiled at Anne "Don't let other people get you down." She said quietly.

Anne sighed "I wish I could help it." She replied. "Josie, is a sore subject."

"Oh?" Bertha asked Anne.

"She kissed Gil." Anne muttered quietly.

"I know that Anne." Bertha said looking confused at her daughter.

"The only other person…" Anne shivered. "I don't think I would have minded as much if it was Ruby or Diana, because they would have kissed him because they felt something for him and Josie just wanted to bag him because she could. Gilbert is…"

At this Gilbert came out the door. "Anne its Jonah Danes." He told her.

"Josie's husband?" she questioned standing up.

"Come with me, try you calm her you know she'll be over reacting." Gilbert said to her, she nodded her head and went in to get her shawl.

* * *

"Anne! Anne what do I do?!" she screeched. "We only called you because old doc was out on call already and I don't know what to do?!" she said louder over the crying baby.

Anne took a breath and picked up the baby shushing him in her arms. "There there Henry." She said quietly to which Josie looked huffed by the child hushing. "Anne continued talking in a quiet tone but spoke to Josie "All you need to do Josie is be here,. Jonah is a good man and he's a hard worker. Gilbert will find out what's wrong and will help in whatever way he can." She paused for a moment and smiled at the baby before handing the baby to his mother. "And you Josie, have been preparing your whole life to be the perfect housewife." She told her "Now is your chance to outshine everyone."

Josie looked to Anne in shock and tried to talk softly "do you think so?" She asked Anne.

"Oh, I know so, do you remember when we were thirteen you knew exactly how many dollies you needed and where they were going."

"twenty-five." Josie told Anne.

"twenty-five." Anne agreed. "You love Jonah, don't you?" Anne said with a smile.

"Yes." Josie said with a swallow. "Of course I do." She took a breath and broke into tears looking at Henry. "I wasn't made for this Anne! What do I do if he dies?!"

"You really don't need to worry about that." Gilbert's voice said from the door. Josie turned and looked at Gilbert standing quickly giving Henry to Anne.

"What's wrong with him?" Josie asked.

"It was an Asthma attack Josie." Gilbert told her "we could have lost him today, you did right in calling me. It is under control now and Jonah is resting." He admitted.

"Asthma?!" Josie exclaimed. "But there's no cure for that!"

"No, there isn't. but it is manageable." Gilbert explained "Even a farmer like he is its manageable." He said looking at her "with your help."

"Anything!" she exclaimed.

"I'm sending off for a nebuliser for him it should be here in a couple of weeks. The nebuliser will help with the drug taking along with it from the belladonna plant. The nebuliser is brand new but I prefer it to the asthma cigarettes you can buy in any drug store, though they are better then nothing at a push. In the meantime, I recommend rest, nothing to strenuous, I'd suggest allowing the help to take the brunt of the work, and there is a mixture of herbs which I've added to the fire in there to help him breathing in the meantime, I can let the pharmacist know you'll be asking for them in the upcoming weeks, just ask for ozone paper. There's no harm of course of using both the nebuliser and the ozone paper though you will smell it in the home but by no means a horrible one." Josie stood nodding her head listening. "I've written it all down for you, so you don't forget." Gilbert said to her kindly.

"Thank you Gil- Thank you Doctor Blythe." She corrected herself. Anne in this time had put the baby in a Moses basket. "Can I go in and see him?" she asked him.

"Yes of course all is in order, well let ourselves out." Gilbert told her.

"Thank you. Gil a-and" she stuttered and looked flushed to Anne. "Anne." She whispered.

They nodded and turned down the hallways together. "Mrs Blythe?" Josie called to Anne.

Anne looked at her very oddly as she spoke for a moment, she didn't know Josie could speak so respectfully to her. "We have a playgroup for the little ones, on a Tuesday morning. Would you care to come as my particular friend? We could exchange ideas on child rearing." Josie asked her.

Anne took a breath and said gently "I'd be honoured."

"And when its not too much trouble Doctor Blythe, Anne said that Henry could have a touch of Colic." Josie blushed, "I was wondering if there is anything I could do to help him?"

Gilbert spoke softly too "I'll leave some drops for him, if that is what Anne thinks it is." He smiled and looked at his wife proudly "Anne is a bit of a self-taught expert, both ours had colic as babies and I could do nothing to help them, it was always mummy who they wanted." He said then looked at Josie directly "but there's always that old saying, 'mother knows best'" he admitted.


	23. Bring it back to the start

**Hi All,**

 **So this chapter I want to thank CatieGirl for letting me use her 'imagination game', I'm not spoiling any of her plot by saying it, but needless to say that both me and her know its her game and I asked her permission to 'borrow it'. Thank you Catie!**

* * *

 _ **P**_

Gilbert fought back the look of pride on his face as Anne came out of the bedroom. The dress although was mostly white had green beading and frills ruffles and trimmings. The top lace was green which started at her neck came down to her bust covering the white dress underneath it skimmed down her figure held tight to her waist with a green ribbon then continued down her legs. The frills and ruffles skimmed around her feet. Gilbert's heart raced in his chest.

"It's okay Gilbert." Bertha reassured him. "It's quite alright for you to be proud of your wife."

Gilbert's face broke into the widest smile Anne had seen on his face for a long time. "Anne." He whispered in awe "You look even more enticing then I thought." He blushed taking her by her hand and kissing it gently. "Anne you look stunning." He told her.

"Oh Anne!" Bertha exclaimed kissed her daughter on the cheek. "I'm so proud of you!" she whispered now hugging her. She then turned and looked at Gilbert "Oh and you too!" she said hugging into him to which he laughed "You have quit that second job right?" Bertha asked him.

"The moment I bought the dress." Gilbert said with a grin to Bertha.

"You work too hard." She told him.

"I know." Gilbert said with a grin.

"Now," Bertha said looking at Anne again. "I will leave you two young un's to it. I'm going to drop my bag at the ferry port and head back to the island early, so feel free to be as loud as you like coming in, you don't need to worry about waking me when you come in from celebrating." She said with a smile to them both. "I'll see you there." She said to them before she walked out the front door.

Gilbert smiled as he turned to his wife this time taking her in his arms and kissing her deeply. "Gilbert!" she blushed as they came up for air. "You'll wrinkle my dress!" she exclaimed.

"Then maybe you ought to take it off!" he whispered to her. Hs fingers playfully looking for the button at the back of her skirt.

"Gil!" she blushed as he kissed her again neither Anne nor Gilbert were surprised when they found themselves in the bedroom lying on the bed. One of Gilbert's hand lay round Anne's back and the other had found its way under her petticoats and was lying on her milky white skin as he kissed around what he could of her neck. "I'll be all flushed for the ceremony if we don't stop now." She whispered to him.

"A lovely pink tint to your skin." He said playfully. "I've always preferred it that way." He told her.

She laughed at him "You can't be serious." She told him. "We must have been red in the face hundreds of times running through fields together…" she looked at him amazed.

He grinned and said "It was easier I could smell your scent." He said.

"Oh thanks!" she exclaimed. "I was smelly?!" she teased.

"No, scent is quite different." He told her. "All those female enticements you were subconsciously sending me." He said with a laugh.

"Right back at you." She said with a laugh. "Oh Gil, we really have to go." She told him kissing him again playfully. "Gil now!" she told him as he kissed her thoroughly again. "Ummm…" she murmured in delight. "We have to…." She started but couldn't finish the sentence her brain was so muddled.

He pulled back and playfully whispered "we do need to, you're right." He whispered. Lying flat on his back beside her.

She flushed her heart racing in her chest she looked beside her and said "what we waiting for then?" she asked him.

He chuckled and said "Well I need a minute…" he said looking at her with a lopsided grin. "You?" he asked.

"Me too." She said with a laugh. He chuckled and put her arm out for her to snuggle into him. She did so and smelled into his neck as she went. "Ummm…" she murmured happily. "I love you Gilbert."

* * *

Gilbert held her close as they literally waltzed into the front room. They were spinning round and round and Anne was giggling into his ear.

"I think there was alcohol in that punch you know." Gilbert whispered in her ear.

"Why are you whispering it?" she asked him. "There's just you and me here, Mamma is gone back to the island remember?" she asked him.

"I can't help it, its more romantic to whisper." He said as matter of factly as he could.

"Oh really?" she questioned. "How much of that punch did you have?" she asked him.

"Five cups." He said with a laugh. "And you?"

"four, I think?" she asked.

"I remember…" he said flirting with her his hand round her back to her backside she gasped as he went. "…the last time you drank alcohol…"

"New years?" she questioned.

"Alright, more then you should…" he said with a blush and he kissed her again this time his tongue playing with hers. "Our first kiss." He whispered into her neck. He suddenly pulled back.  
"I wanna play." He said lowly to her.

"Oh?" she asked playfully back to him.

He pulled her into the bedroom and lay her on the bed.

"It's a game," he said sitting next to the bed "use that imagination of yours, and tell me what should have happened." He shrugged "or rather show me." He said.

"When?" she asked.

"Our first kiss." He said with a smile. "I put you on the bed and I whispered 'Sleep it off, I'll be round in the morning.'"

She giggled in delight and said "Oh I see, re-enactment huh?" she bit into her bottom lip. I think I said "have you ever wondered what it would be like to kiss someone?"

"Sure Anne." He said much as he did that night before she leaned forward, put her hand in his hair and pulled his face towards her sealing their lips together. This time Gilbert wasn't in shock when she did it and enjoyed the feeling of his lips on hers moving his lips in a dance so familiar to him now. He swept her cheek lightly as his knee rested on the bed beside her. Their kiss deepened their tongues brushed against the others as their bodies intertwined together. When he pulled back some time later she smiled gently.

"I want you." Anne whispered to him.

"Oh?" he pretended. "We're not married Anne, it would be highly inappropriate."

"Like this isn't?" she questioned him pulling him on top of her as she kissed him hard. "We'll run away, and get married then?" she flirted.

"Man alive!" he exclaimed. "I want you so _much_ Nan." He whispered to her. Kissing into her again. "I want to make love with you, _so so_ much!"

"Babies…" she trailed letting his hand move up her leg "Ahhhh!" she exclaimed. "Gil." She whispered.

"Yeah." He gasped.

"I want to re-consummate our marriage." She whispered rolling him on his back and laying on top of him. "Can we?" she asked him. "Just tonight?" she whispered.

He bit his lip a moment trying to control the urge just to immediately say yes, then a grin spread across his face, "A graduation baby?" he flirted his cheeks burning in delight.

"We already proved once doesn't mean a baby." She whispered. "But if I did, wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, would it?" she asked pulling back and looking him in the eyes.

"You know I want babies with you Nan." He whispered with a smirk on his face. "Babies, like us, girls and boys playing side by side." He said with a smile. "Ones made out of you and me." He said with a gasp as she moved closer on top of him. "Anne, are you sure, I could get you…" He was cut off by her lips of his. "If you say so!" he blushed widely.


	24. When the past catches up with you

**_P_**

Gilbert lay in the early morning of a cold January morning watching Anne's chest raise and fall as she slept next to him. Her stomach rounded in a neat bump at 8 months pregnant. He should be more worried, he supposed. Anne was still writing, but was unable to pick up regular work due to her "condition", although as yet she'd not had any complications, the only reason she was able to write was because they had no idea of her condition, you never need meet writers for the small women's articles in the newspapers. He still had the job at the newspaper but had dropped two of his clubs. Anne had been right over the last term. He didn't know how much he had missed her until that night they had played together again. Once she had fallen asleep in his arms that night he had looked back and saw where her fear had stem from. His behaviour had been erratic, unreadable even rude at times and he was always so tired, but so tired he had neglected the angel he married.

Things couldn't be more different now then that day. They had a renewed closeness since they found out she was pregnant, since they knew there wasn't any consequences to that intimacy, they had finally been able to bask in the closeness.

Things had quickly got back to normal. Gilbert came home from classes to find Anne hard at work scribbling at her work. Even better there were days she would come and meet him from class, though those days were getting far and in-between now as her stomach grew, she tired easily and understandably so.

Upon their return to Redmond, Gilbert had taken a detour to the medical school library and found some second year medical students, explained his situation and how he was pre-med and the students jumped to help him giving him the best medical books on pregnancy and childbirth. Gilbert on top of his other studies read these books in fervour to try to understand what was happening to his wife's body in full.

He looked at her now with her rounded stomach and had a vivid memory come back to him.

 _The rather precocious eyes of a two year old looking directly at Bertha in wonder at a rounded tummy he went to it and poked it in wonder._

 _"Gilbert!" His mother exclaimed blushing. Gilbert hadn't known what he had done which was so wrong (at the time, he know blushed himself at the memory)_

 _"no its okay." Bertha had laughed, even then Gilbert reflected, so patience so willing to let the little two year old be himself._

 _"wat dat?" He asked her._

 _Bertha took his hand and put it gently on her tummy. "baby growing in my tummy."_

 _He had thought about that for a little while. A baby? In a tummy? That didn't make much sense, how did it get there? "when you were small you were in your mamas tummy too."_

Gilbert remembered laughing at this, it was such a foreign concept _. "baba?" He iterated again keeping his hand over the bump._

 _"baba." Bertha smiled._

 _"Gilbert you really shouldn't..." His mother tried again, but it was then Gilbert had known, 'a baby in a tummy?' he wondered._

 _He remembered his mind trying to figure out the puzzle._

 _He did know one thing though, if there was really a baby in there it would come out one day. He wanted to meet that baby when it did._

 _So he had pointed at the door every day "Baba Baba!" he demanded._

 _"_ _No Gilbert!" His mother had told him. "Don't be silly you can't see the baby every day you'll wear Bertha out!"_

 _"_ _Baba, Baba!" he had stomped._

 _Eventually caving his mother took him to Bertha. The young mother had laughed gaily. Telling Mrs Blythe she would rather see Gilbert every day (he had apparently bewitched Bertha a long long time ago). Gilbert remember sitting next to Bertha one hand on her tummy the other would be holding a book or playing with a toy while he talked to her tummy endlessly about his play._

 _He shouldn't remember it, he was only two but he definitely remembered Bertha's round tummy and talking to that tummy, he also remembered the day he met Anne._

 _Gilbert ran excitedly up the stairs in the Shirley's home only vaguely hearing his mother's reprimands. He knew now of course it was social etiquette but he had no concept of that at the time, he was two and he wanted Bertha's tummy to move again against his hand. He crawled up to the bed seeing Bertha there and put his hand on her tummy. But what had once been hard was now soft._

 _"Baba?" he questioned_

 _"No Gilbert." Walter said picking up the baby from the Moses basket beside the bed. He put a hand on his wife's stomach "baby." He started then presented the baby in front of Gilbert "baby." He whispered showing his daughter to him sitting on the bed next to Gilbert._

 _Gilbert had seriously thought about it for a moment. The concept of a baby being in a tummy was difficult enough but now the baby was here with them? How?! "Baba." He repeated then climbed his way up to Walter's free arm, and that is where he first saw her. This tiny defenceless little baby she was sweet and tiny her eyes were shut but she had tiny circles of red hair on top of her head. He reached for Anne, he wanted it to be like when she was in Bertha's tummy. "baba." He almost demanded. Walter settled Gilbert next to Bertha who was lying on the bed then lay the baby next to Gilbert on the bed protecting them from the other side sitting up watching as Gilbert snuggled against the baby. "awwww baba ba." He whispered staying in close._

 _He never understood the look on his mother's face. This was to him as a sister was to everyone else._

 _He finally FINALLY had a playmate._

 _Bertha smiled at Mrs Blythe. "don't fret over it." She whispered. "he's only a baby himself." She whispered to Gilbert. "Gilbert baby's name is Anne."_

 _"Nan." He whispered gently not moving, and there was born her nickname._

 _Baby Anne opened her eyes looking around her eyes settling on him. Gilbert looked at her with wide eyes, this was way more than his sister, it was his best friend. "Nan." He whispered to her. She yawned and looked again at him. "Illurt." He tried to explain his own name to her "Nan." He repeated "Illurt." Where Anne made a sweet squeal sound. Where upon he laughed. Yes this was definitely his best friend._

 _"I think Mrs Blythe, Gilbert has met his best friend." Walter laughed._

Truer words were never spoken.

Gilbert grinned as he moved closer to Anne in bed and placed his hand on her tummy. He snuggled up against her as she stirred from the sleep.

"Gil?" She whispered.

"sorry I didn't mean to wake you." He whispered.

"Um…" she managed before she curved herself around him properly.

"I was just thinking of the first days I meant you." He told her.

"Days?" she asked confused.

"When you were in your mother's tummy and the day you were born." He said quietly. "I knew we were meant to be friends." He told her.

"I think it's gone a bit further then that Gil." She said with a chuckle. She sighed gently and kissed into his curls "I'm so glad I met you."

* * *

It was that afternoon Anne decided she had enough energy to meet Gilbert from one of his classes. She had walked down to the building waiting outside. Despite the fact it was a cold January's day it was still a pleasant day. She enjoyed the feeling of the cold on her nose, it had been so long since she was cold! She had been hot ALL the time since she fell pregnant! She had actually still been warm when she arrived but soon found a bench to sit on and wait for Gilbert. She didn't even notice some other third year students coming from behind, but what she did notice was when one of them stopped directly behind her.

"Anne?!" he exclaimed looking in shock.

Anne equally in shock knew that voice. She would know it anywhere! She swallowed as she turned to look at him. "Hello Roy." She said quietly as she stood and turned looking at him directly.

"You… you're pregnant!" he said in shock.

"As you see." She replied.

He shook his head in disbelief "I thought you would have graduated by now?" he asked her.

'Says the man who encouraged me to drop my studies all together' she thought to herself "I have." She admitted. "Last summer." She said "Have you only just returned this year from Spain?" she asked him.

"Yes." He admitted looking her up and down.

"You've been in Spain for two years!?" she exclaimed.

"Mummy is much better." He told her.

"Good." Anne admitted. "You stayed there with her?" she asked.

"Yes." He said.

Anne eyebrows shot up "I suppose that's where we would have been then." She said quietly.

"I had no reason to return!" Roy spat quickly. "The love of my life ran out on me!" he exclaimed.

"Roy, I wasn't the love of your life." Anne started.

"Yes you were, yes you were and you abandoned me!" he exclaimed.

"And I suppose if I had come with you, you would have made sure we made the trip back home so I could see my mother my friends my family!?" she accused him.

"I would have been your family! You wouldn't have needed anyone else!" he exclaimed.

"Hypocrite!" Anne exclaimed "You needed your mother, who's to say I wouldn't need mine?!"

"My mother would be your mother, you could have called her 'mother' too!" he told her.

"And Gilbert?" she asked him.

" _I_ would have replaced _him_!" Roy exclaimed.

"And _that's_ why _you_ could never understand _me_ Roy!" she argued back. "You could never _replace_ him!"

"What because you were so close to him?!" Roy exclaimed. "All I saw were two children and he didn't know you Anne not as I did."

"Oh, believe me, it was quite the opposite!" Anne said with an ironic laugh.

"And I suppose the child's father is okay with the relationship you have with your little playmate, is he?"

"Actually, he is!" Anne said with a smirk.

Roy still hadn't cotton on to the fact that Gilbert was in fact her husband looked at her and laughed. "Oh I'm sure…" he trailed. "What are you doing here Anne?" he asked her.

She took a sigh as some other students started coming out the doors. "I'm waiting for my husband." She said quietly.

In that second Gilbert came out in the crowds upon seeing Anne his eyes lit up and he ran to her.

"Sweetheart." He said gently pecking her on the cheek. "I hope you aren't straining yourself?" he asked her not even aware of the standing presence. It was only then he looked up and saw Roy standing his mouth agape. "Roy." Gilbert said with a blush.

Roy let out a bitter chuckle. "Of course." He said with a shake of his head and he looked at Anne. Gilbert's arm went protectively around his wife as she turned slightly into Gilbert's arms. "It was always him." He said as if he was figuring it out for himself.

Anne took deep breath and looked at him now. "We couldn't help it." She whispered. "we were made for each other." She told Roy.

"So…" he asked confused "You've only just got married?" he asked them.

Anne looked away blushing and Gilbert said gently "almost two and a half years."

Roy's eyes widened in shock then he placed the pieces together in his head "You found her that afternoon? After our wedding, you found her didn't you?" he asked Gilbert.

"Yes." Gilbert admitted.

"How long after our wedding day did this happen?" Roy asked.

"Does that matter?" Anne asked him.

"No, I suppose not." He admitted "it couldn't have been long." He said quietly.

He gave a look to them both before he started to walk away. Anne took a heavy sigh and breathed in Gilbert scent, it gave her courage and she whispered "I'll be right back." She told him.

She went after Roy calling his name a few times before he turned around. "What do you want?!" he asked her.

"I'm sorry." She told him straight. "I wasn't myself and you fell in love with her." Anne told him. "I was trying to be who you wanted me to be, and I found myself trapped there, because it wasn't me." She tried to explain "I hadn't seen Gilbert in so long and I was feeling alone and scared and I thought he could never love me, why would I think he could? He hadn't said anything for so long and I was frightened that I would never be good enough for anyone." She admitted. "You came along and you showed me the attention I craved for." She sighed "and so I made this girl who you could fall in love with, only she was so far from me when I came home to the people who knew me most it was only over that summer that I realised, if I stayed with you I would have to play her forever." She admitted. "And you know you're right, had we married and we'd gone to Spain, the expectation would be that I wouldn't need a Gilbert anymore, I wouldn't even need my mother, I would become part of you of your family, Gilbert even told me the night before we wouldn't be best friends anymore that you should automatically inherit it because you would have been my husband and he was right!" Anne exclaimed. "So right!" she told him "You would have every right to expect that of your wife." She continued "But I would have ended up so miserable in here." She said holding her heart. "So, I'm sorry, I know the heartache I've caused you, but let me assure you Roy, I never intended it." She said. "When I married Gilbert, I did it for nothing but love." She sighed her tears escaping her eyes "and once day you will marry a dear sweet little woman who really does love you in the way you deserve she will hang off your arm and have the same outlook in life the same aura about her, you will be truly happy and you'll look back at us and wonder how you ever thought we could be happy together." She told him. She stood for a moment and waited for a response when she thought she wouldn't get one she said "Well I said what I needed to, I wish you all the best Roy, really I do." She told him she turned and walked towards where Gilbert was standing when she felt a hand hold hers.

"Were you really not yourself?" he asked her.

Anne physically chuckled at it. "No Roy, trust me, the women I am you could not have fallen in love with."

"Was she the one who came back with fish water and fire dirt all over her?" he asked Anne.

"I'm afraid so." She admitted.

He took a heavy sigh and let go of her hand "Your eyes." He started quietly. "Your eyes always lit up when you talked about Gilbert." He said gently "he meant the world to you." He acknowledged.

"He is my world." Anne said in a whisper.

"Then perhaps its not so unforgivable." He said with a smile to her.

Anne nodded and looked at him again. "I'm sorry Roy." She told him.

"Apology accepted. You weren't yourself." He said. "Now, introduce me to my future wife, you might just make it up to me." He said with a glint in his eyes.

Anne laughed "Is that a sense of humour I detect Mr Gardner?" she asked him.

He chuckled lightly "Yes, I suppose it is."

Gilbert had moved from his standing place and stood behind Anne for a moment before Roy looked at him "You know, it makes so much sense." He said shaking his head. "How far along are you?" he asked Anne.

"Eight months." She said to which Roy nodded. "You shouldn't let her out the house Mr Blythe, she could slide and hurt herself and the baby." Roy advised.

"I couldn't stop her if she made up her mind to do it." Gilbert said with a shrug.

Roy's eyebrows shot up "Not what you'd expect in a wife."

"No," Gilbert corrected him "It's not what you'd expect in your wife." He said with a look to Roy.

He took a heavy sigh "Yes you are quite right." They stood for a moment not knowing what to do before Roy said "I best get to class." He said quietly. "congratulations Anne and Gilbert." He said before he bowed slightly and walked in the direction of the universities door.

Anne looked up to Gilbert and wrapped her arms around him.

"Are you alright?" he whispered to her.

"Yeah." She said quietly with a little sob. "It just all came back, that's all." She admitted.

"I know love." Gilbert told her softly.

She pulled back and looked at him "He's in your year now." She said to him. "Do you not have any shared classes?" Anne asked Gilbert.

"They spilt the year group in two remember?" Gilbert told Anne. "The intake was so high and the new buildings made it possible."

"Oh of course!" Anne exclaimed. "Did he not know you are class president?" Anne asked again.

Gilbert smiled putting his arm around Anne. "Not everyone seeks out their class president." They started walking together for a few steps before Gilbert said "he was right about one thing."

"Oh?" Anne asked.

"You shouldn't be coming out in this weather on your own now." He said.

Anne rolled her eyes "Yes dear husband, do you want me to stay in and be a good little housewife for you?" she asked him with a hint of sarcasm to her voice.

He chuckled and teased back "Yes, yes I would."

"Well tough." She said letting him keep his arm around her in case she fell.

"That's my girl!"


	25. Us Three

**_P_**

"Gil!" She whispered in the dark of night. "Gil!" she said again shaking him.

"Um?" he replied waking up jumping slightly at the wake he looked up at his wife. For the past few months where she either had to lie on her back or her side he'd taken to snuggling into her breast and holding her stomach as they slept. Anne had smiled and called it his way of 'protecting' them.

"My waters have broken." She whispered.

"Wha?! He asked her looking at her for a moment. "But you've still got another four weeks to go!" he exclaimed.

"I know that!" Anne told him. "I'm telling you my waters have broken!"

He finally woke properly pulling himself up next to her. "It's alright, it'll be okay." He tried to comfort her. He lit the gas light beside him. "Bertha!" he called. "It'll be alright." He said to Anne. "Are you getting contractions?" he asked her.

"I don't know." She whispered.

"Bertha!" Gilbert tried again. "Alright we can concentrate on getting cleaned up until you know." He told her. He looked at the sheet and Anne's nightie, "that's definitely your waters." He whispered. "Bertha!" he called again.

"What's wrong?" she said opening the door.

"Anne's waters have broken, help me." He said.

"Already!" she exclaimed, "but there's another month!"

"We can't help that now." Gilbert said honestly.

"I'll get the hot water on." Bertha said turning quickly and going into the main room.

"Can you stand sweetheart?" Gilbert asked her.

"Help?" she asked him to which he nodded. "That's it." He said softly the gently helped her up.

"Argh!" she sounded. "sorry," she whispered "More waters."

"Its okay its to be expected." He said to her.

"Argh!" she exclaimed "Gil!" she cried.

He held her in her arms for a minute letting the contraction past. "Contraction?" he asked her as she pulled away.

"Yes," she confirmed. "I think so." She breathed. "Gil, I'm scared!" she exclaimed.

He held her up and looked her in the eyes "I know you are love, so am I." he said.

She exhaled quickly "You've never been scared before!" she told him.

He chuckled. "I was scared every time Anne." He said with a smile to her "but I was brave for both of us and I'm sorry but this time, we need to be brave for each other." He told her. "So lets do this the only way we know how." He told her.

"Together?" she asked him.

"Together." He confirmed.

"No matter what." She said steadily instead of the normal question.

"No matter what, I am here by your side." He reminded her. "Come on beautiful." He said kissing her on her forehead.

* * *

Gilbert finally stood from the labour. The doctor had came and assisted in the birth of the baby, insisting if Gilbert really wanted to be a doctor he had better get used to delivering babies. Gilbert had got to deliver his own baby! Fresh from the womb the baby he had in his hands were so small and the doctor recommended Gilbert give Anne the baby as soon as possible. Anne held the baby in her arms. The baby… _she_ was so small, a tiny five pounds. He held back watching as Anne held the baby… held her close to her own bare chest.

The tears were pooling in his eyes he could feel the prickle right there, before the doctor came and stood beside him

"You're a natural Gilbert." The doctor told him. All Gilbert could do was nod. "I suppose those books you sought out were the real help, you must have studied them hard." Again no response. "Gilbert…" he started.

"She won't live." He whispered low enough so Anne wouldn't hear.

"Well there's no guarantee..." The doctor started.

"No false hope Doctor." He whispered the tears now escaping his eyes, the doctor taking Gilbert out into the living area

"If she lives the day out she could make it." He told the young Gilbert.

"In the meantime, we what?" he asked. "Bond with her? Give her a name she'll live with for a day? Let my wife give suckling to a life which is already heaven bound at birth?!"

"And you would suggest what?" The doctor retorted. "Not bonding? Give her no name so she can be anonymously buried as 'baby' Blythe? Starve her so she does die?"

"That's not fair!" Gilbert cried.

"She like your wife is my patient." The Doctor said to Gilbert. "You need to tell your wife, but you also need to bond with her." The doctor looked at him and said "believe me you'll regret it if you don't."

Gilbert returned to the room and watched as Anne spoke to her mother.

"Little Joyce," Anne murmured. "We planned to call her that if she were a girlie. There were so many we would have liked to name her for; we couldn't choose between them, so we decided on Joyce—we can call her Joy for short—Joy—it suits so well."

"That she does." Bertha kissed her daughters head. "You're weak Anne my baby girl."

"I'm not." She said her eyes swaying.

Gilbert's lips upturned for a moment before he settled beside her.

"Oh Gilbert love." She whispered offering the baby to him. "Your daughter, your baby girl _our Joy_."

Gilbert held the baby easily with one hand to elbow though he kept his other hand beneath as support.

"Oh Gil hold her close, it's the most perfect feeling in the…" she trailed and looked at Gilbert. "Love?" she asked.

The pools in his eyes gave way again and he shook his head. "I can't." he whispered. Handing the baby to Anne. "Make sure you're both warm," he told his wife gently as the doctor and Bertha left the room. "…it's too cold for you both to be exposed to the cold like this…"

"Gilbert…" Anne started again.

"Have you tried breastfeeding her yet?" he asked.

"Gil…" she trailed.

"Because you should, it'll give you both strength." He told her.

"Gilbert!" Anne tried again she could see his distress as he looked up at her. "What are you trying not to tell me?" she asked him.

He physically dropped beside her on the bed his head in the nook of her arm his arm reached across both mother and baby as he sobbed there. "Joy…" he croaked "Is very small and very early." He whispered. "The Doctor agrees with me, we don't know if she'll make it." He whispered as his head returned to the safety of his wife's arm. "I have no right to do this to you." He cried. "I should be the strong one, I should be the one comforting you…" he started.

"Don't." she whispered to him. "Right now love, lets break together." She said her own sobbing starting. "We'll do this like we do everything else." she whispered. "Together. Us two." She said.

He looked up and said "Us three." He said looking to his daughter again. Her eyes were wide open and were looking at her father in wonderment. His lips upturned and he whispered "she has your eyes Anne." Just then a tiny arm came outstretched to him her tiny hand wrapped around his pinkie finger. He chuckled at the action.

"It seems your daughter agrees." Anne cried. "Gil is it for certain? If she lives or dies?" she asked him.

"If she lives out the day she _could_ make it." He whispered.

"Then let's stay close." Anne said to him. "Let's stay a family as long as we are able to."

The next 24 hours the three-stayed close. Bertha was informed by the doctor so was fully prepared for what was happening in that little bedroom. Anne only let go of Joyce to let her mother hold her.

"You know the doctors said you were small." Bertha whispered. "That morning you came Gilbert, they told us only siblings, but you were family." She said. "I don't suppose you noticed just how small Anne was, you were only a baby after all."

"Anne was strong." Gilbert said quietly.

Bertha looked at her granddaughter then looked at them "So is she."

Bertha gave Joy back to Anne and showed her how to breastfeed, Gilbert watching with both fatherly and doctorly interest. He watched eyes light up her who being change as the baby latched for the first time, sulking on her breast.

"How do I know she's getting enough?" Anne asked her mother.

"She just does." Bertha told her daughter. "When she's hungry she's look for more." She whispered gently. "Anne…" she tried bravely "if I could spare you this pain…" she started.

"Don't." Anne whispered. "You'd wish away my baby's life for my benefit?" Anne asked. "No." she said plainly. "I won't allow it."

"But I know." Bertha said quietly.

Anne looked wide eyed at her mother. "Ma?" she questioned.

"I miscarried at 25 weeks." Bertha whispered. "I went through birth I had to give birth to his tiny little body." She said tears filling her eyes. "He was so small!" she cried before she shook her head "His name was Malachi*, your brother." She sighed "I suppose that's why I fell in love with you Gilbert, you were my little boy, just what I hoped my son would be. Why we let you grow like brother and sister, we fell pregnant with you almost immediately, we needed hope. " She whispered.

Anne looked to her amazed. "You never told me!" She exclaimed.

"It's not discussed." She said. "Your dad and I, we talked about him sometimes." Bertha admitted. "But I haven't talked about him for so long." She sighed. "When you were born you were so small they thought you wouldn't live." Bertha told her "but just look at you now." She told Anne. "I know the pain of losing a child and I would do it again if it meant sparing you and Gilbert and Joy this pain." She said tears streaming down her face. "But she's a fighter Anne." Bertha said with a smile. "Just like you were." At this Bertha left the room giving the tiny family room again to live together.

 _ **F**_

Gilbert slipped into his daughter's room and sat in the rocking chair watching her sleep. Those tender few moments at the start of her life were so scary, but now, he would go through all that pain again just for a single day of a living, breathing Joy.

Anne came in the door and looked to her husband. "You're back." She said to him.

"yeah, I didn't wake you, did I?" he asked her.

"No, your baby did that!" she said softly rubbing her rounded tummy and she sat on his knee. "You came in here to watch her sleep?" she asked.

"Just to remind myself." He said honestly. "I can't believe how grown up she is." He whispered. "How close we came to losing her. I came in here to check on her." He chuckled.

"Me too." Anne whispered.

"Those first few days Nan." He said honestly "I was distraught!" he told her.

"I know, so was I." she whispered. "I don't know how mamma did it." She said softly as they both watched their daughter. The silences were comfortable ones.

"She had you." He said and kissed into her neck. "You heal everyone with your love." He smiled again at his daughter. "She lived Nan."

"One day at a time." She reminded him with a quick kiss they stood and quietly left their daughter's bedroom.

 ** _P_**

Gilbert could feel the morning light against the lids of his eyes. He was almost sure of it, he would wake and his baby daughter would be in that eternal sleep already. He almost didn't want to open his eyes, as long as his eyes were shut she was still alive. He didn't want to, nay he didn't have to face that reality yet. He felt almost sure he would immediately regret the bonding they shared the previous day. Bertha had run around the campus after his professors explaining what was happening why their prized student wouldn't be in classes. They had all sent notes but each had told Bertha to tell Gilbert to concentrate on his family first. He could always study and catch up later. Bertha had reassured him the best thing to do was bond, but he felt sure he would feel an unbearable pain at the sight of his still daughter. They had swaddled her and she had slept between them on the bed. The last thing Anne had done last night was to feed the little babe.

At first, he wasn't sure what was moving beside him on the bed. Had Anne woken already? He didn't want her to face this alone. So, he brazed himself for the worse and slowly opened his eyes. There stared back those big grey eyes he loved so much, her lids blinking every few seconds. He stared in wonder as it wasn't his wife he was looking at.

"Joy?" he whispered though he didn't expect an answer. The tiny babes mouth stretched a yawn before a tiny cry left her mouth. He picked her up trying to keep Anne from waking. "Shhh, shhh." He whispered gently. "it's okay little lady." He told her. "I'm here." He told her holding her against his chest finally. The word played on his lips, he'd dare not speak it yet least the word slipped from his mouth and she'd slip away as quickly. He held her out so they could see each other again, his bottom lip quivering with the weight he felt "I'm daddy." His whispered as a sob left his mouth. "Did you hear that? I'm your daddy." He told her again. "And I love you more than I can describe!" he continued sobbing. He felt a hand slide onto his thigh which made him jump for a moment before he looked at Anne. She smiled softly and snugged into them.

"She made it!" Gilbert exclaimed to Anne. "Joy made it another day."

Anne smiled in her maternal light. "We just have to take it…" she said softly "…one day at a time."

He held Joy to his chest again and whispered to her "Did you hear that Joyce Blythe?" he asked her "just one day at a time."


	26. Family Love

**Hi everyone!**

 **Thank you so much for the reviews last week they were much appreciated. I always try to take care about writing about the possibility or the reality of losing a child. I have two myself and I know that automatic feeling you get to check on them, especially when they are so very very small. So I always take such care over it. I don't want to ever have that feeling my soul aches and I worry over it something rotten. So it was a hard chapter to write but apparently all the more worth while for it being so hard.**

 **I know I'm focusing more in the past one at the moment, its simply because thats where the story is.**

 **Hope you all enjoy**

 **love**

 **Carrots x**

* * *

 ** _P_**

Gilbert's arm went out to the alarm clock and he stopped it quickly hoping it didn't wake either Joy nor Anne. His eye cracked open to see a very bemused set of grey/green eyes looking back at him.

"Don't mock me." He croaked getting out of bed. "Your old man needs to go and get an education." He whispered to her leaning over the Moses basket and kissing his daughter on her forehead to which something resembling a laugh and a raspberry escaped her mouth. "That's easy for you to say." He told her. "But your mammy is still asleep see?" he told her pulling on a pair of trousers for the day.

Two months on and the Blythe's were still taking things 'one day at a time' but found them easier, with every passing day Joy became stronger and hope that she would live crept slowly and more surely back into her parents hearts.

At birth it hadn't been clear, her hair still stuck to her head but as they came to bathe her the locks of chestnut curly brown hair became more prevalent on top of her head. By the end of month one you could only identify it as Gilbert's curls.

Gilbert tucked in his shirt and brought up his braces before he heard Anne whisper "Hey."

"Nan." He whispered looking at her with a smile, he knelt on the bed and kissed her "You need to rest some more love." He whispered. "I was trying not to wake you."

"I don't need more rest, have you ever considered its all this resting which is making me so light at sleeping." She said.

He smiled at her and took Joyce from her moses basket.

"I was thinking, maybe Joyce and I could come down to port with you to meet your parents." Anne suggested.

"I was going straight from my lecture." He reminded her.

"I know that." She said shaking her head as Gilbert lay Joy beside her, Anne brought up her top and let the baby take suckling there "I meant I could come and meet you from your class then come to port with you and then we can come back here." She said.

"I don't know Anne." He whispered still so very concerned for Anne.

"Both Joy and I are stronger now Gil." She said taking a deep breath. "You don't need to be so over protective!"

Gilbert took a sigh "If you wrap her up warm and come and meet me from class, we'll still have time to head back here if you don't feel up to coming all the way to port with me." He said with a resolute face.

"I wouldn't head out with her if she wasn't wrapped up." Anne laughed. "I'll bring her in her baby carriage!" Anne said with a happy smile.

Gilbert sighed knowing Anne was resolute with the plan. "Only if you're feeling up to it." He said kissing her on her head again. He shook his head. "I'll see you at eleven." He said with a knowing smile.

"Anne!" Mrs Blythe called in delight as she saw her daughter in law at the port she ran to her holding her in her arms "I didn't know you were coming!" she exclaimed. "Now are you sure you're well enough to come down here and Joy?!" she asked looking round at her granddaughter "Oh Anne!" she exclaimed her mouth ajar "Oh Anne she's gorgeous! Oh look at her!" she exclaimed. "You wouldn't know she was 2 months old, look at her she's tiny!"

Anne smiled "She's almost nine pounds now!"

"Nine pounds!" Mrs Blythe exclaimed. "Oh she's catching up on you Gilbert, has he ever told you 10 pounds!"

Anne looked to him in shock." You never were?!"

"I was, happy and healthy and two weeks late." He said. "You always forget to mention that part."

"I never forget it! Two weeks extra, well you'll know you never forget it." She said to Anne.

"I would rather she was two weeks late then a month early." Anne said quietly.

"Well lets just be glad she is here and is safe blessed be!" Mrs Blythe said kissing her daughter in law. "You don't know she might not have survived if she stayed where she was, we know this way at least."

"We're just taking it one day at a time." Gilbert said with a hug to his father who had finally caught up.

"Is this the little lady?" he asked looking in the baby carriage. He smiled fondly at the child. "Takes after her Ma." He said. "Good job there's none of your mug on her." He teased his son.

"except that hair!" Mrs Blythe smiled. "I always loved your hair." Mrs Blythe said looking at her son the curls which ruffled rebelliously down his forehead.

Gilbert smiled contently. "Come on we should get home, get the ladies nice and warm." Gilbert said with a smile.

"That must be for you little lady." Mrs Blythe smiled to her granddaughter she linked arms with Anne and whispered "You did so well Anne!"

The chicken dinner with potatoes and two vegetables had been in the oven (with Mrs Blythe's help!) Mrs Blythe now sat in the rocking chair holding her granddaughter in her arms.

"Oh, you always forget," she whispered to her son who sat on the floor beside her. "what it's like to hold a new-born." She whispered. "It barely seems five minutes ago that I held you as a baby." She said looking in her son's eyes. "Look what you did!" she told him.

He laughed. "I don't think I could take much the credit ma." He said quietly looking at the babe in his mother's arms, "as much as I would like to. I did my part, Anne carried and grew her, took care of her, felt her move there." He said quietly.

She looked at Gilbert with a smile to each other before the door opened.

"Sorry I'm late!" Bertha said with a smile to her daughter and son in law "last minute staff meeting I couldn't get out of." She said hanging her coat up and putting her bag beside the hook.

Mrs Blythe stood with the baby in arms and embraced Bertha with a smile. "Isn't she wonderful!" Mrs Blythe exclaimed before Bertha could even mutter 'hello'.

"I quite agree" Bertha concurred looking at her granddaughter.

"Bertha quite dotes on Joy I assure you." Gilbert laughed.

"Good, so she should." Mrs Blythe said as Joy started her squeaking for crying. "I think someone is hungry mamma." Bertha said turning to her daughter in law who was sitting on the sofa and giving her the baby. "How was your day Bertha?" she asked her.

"Oh good." She said with a smile. "Sometimes going to work and seeing children watching them grow and then coming home and seeing a baby." She sighed and looked at Joyce. "makes me wish I had another." She smiled sweetly at her daughter. "But one must remember to be grateful for the blessings you have."

"There's still time Bertha, just about." Mrs Blythe smiled.

"No." Bertha sighed happily. "Not without Walter." She said. "And anyway, now I have little miss to dote on." Bertha smiled.

"You're not lonely though are you mamma?" Anne asked her.

"How could I be?" she said with a smile. "Though I won't pretend I don't miss him." She bit her bottom lip "but a teacher! No, I could never be lonely." She sighed "look at me, I have my hands full, my classes of 20 children at a time all different age ranges all different abilities, I come home have to mark their work and then I have a daughter a son and a baby at home, there's no time to be lonely." She finished before Joy pulled away again and started to cry.

Anne gently lay Joy over her legs and rubbed her back.

"Is that colic Anne?" Mrs Blythe asked

"Yes." Anne said quietly as she sat back and kept rubbing Joy's back. "You know she's happy a lot of the time, its just this." She said as Joy let out the wind, Anne moved her position so she was over her shoulder Anne stood with her and wandered into the bedroom with her.

"She does that in the night you know." Gilbert said softly. "so that Joy doesn't wake me so I can sleep for university." He sighed "I worry about her she's up a lot, I sometimes find them fallen asleep on the rocking chair." He said quietly.

Mrs Blythe looked sadly at her son and nodded. "it'll too soon pass." Mrs Blythe sighed. "Have you not considered just coming home?" Mrs Blythe asked her son. "You don't have to be a doctor, that farm is yours if you want it."

Gilbert swallowed and looked at his parents "I'm not going to pretend that isn't tempting." He admitted. "I know I'd make a fine farmer and I know there's no time to get bored." He continued. "Please don't take it as a slight that I prefer to pursue in this path." He bit down on his lip. "I have Anne and Joy, I want what's best for them and in the short term, I sometimes wonder if going home and being a farmer would be just that, but long term, I know I'd regret it, I know I could never tell my children to follow their passions if I gave up on one of mine so easily." Gilbert looked to the bedroom door as he heard Joy cry again. "I'll go and relieve Anne for a few minutes."

When Gilbert entered the bedroom Mrs Blythe sighed sadly. "They seem tired." She said to Bertha quietly.

"Well they both took me seriously when I said it wasn't a free way out for them." Bertha acknowledged. "They take their responsibilities seriously."

"Do they…" Mrs Blythe continued, "I mean they must they had Joy, but do they make time for each other?"

Bertha shrugged. "I think they've abstained."

"You've never heard?..."

Bertha shook her head. "It's a small apartment, they know this, we can hear… I think they care together for Joy and I'm assuming they did when Anne was pregnant but never while I was here." Bertha admitted.

Mrs Blythe sighed "They're so _young_."

"They didn't marry for the sex they married…"

"So no one could separate them." Mrs Blythe finished.

"Don't despair." Bertha said with a smile. "I think they just have a lot of self-control, I think they miss each other and they want to be together like that but they know this must come first."

"You mean Joy wasn't planned?!" Mrs Blythe exclaimed.

Bertha smiled "I don't think they want it known, but Gilbert was quite flabbergasted when I suggested Anne was pregnant, but no less over-" she smiled " _joy_ ed." Bertha gave a knowing smile "their marriage is not without passion Mrs Blythe, they are simply bridling their passions at the moment."

"They're too young." Mrs Blythe commented.

"So says the women who left the island to find them the day they eloping claiming they were too young and foolish." John said with a laugh.

"Oh its obvious they were always in love and you know I was just concerned, it was irresponsible of them just to run off like that."

"I think its romantic." Bertha sighed. "Just needing to be together like that."

"Well its all the same now, they are married and happy." Mrs Blythe smiled.


	27. Date night

**This one is for you Cate x**

* * *

 _ **P**_

Bertha watched the pair with wrinkled nose.

There was nothing unusual going on, no nothing at all, but that was just it.

They were at the table, Gilbert on one side studying and Anne on the other side writing away a story for the newspaper. Joy was being held by her other grandmother and John was taking a snooze in the corner.

Bertha looked to Mrs Blythe who looked back at her, the same look cast in Anne and Gilbert's direction. They both knew what needed to happen.

"Right that's it!" Bertha proclaimed. "Both of you, get out!" she demanded moving over to them and shooing them. "Up and out!"

"What?" Gilbert proclaimed as Anne asked "Ma, what are you doing?!"

"You two need to get out of here, do something, go climb a tree or take a walk along the shore or go someplace and sweetheart each other!"

"But Bert-" Gilbert started.

"Are you saying my daughter doesn't deserve to be sweet hearted?" Bertha asked him with a serious look on her face.

"No, I would never say that." Gilbert replied. "But Bertha that assignment…"

"Can wait for an hour or two maybe even three. I know…" she continued. "I don't want you back here until eleven." She proclaimed.

"Eleven!" Anne exclaimed shocked. "But ma, its five in the afternoon, what about Joy?" Anne asked. "She needs feeding."

"I'll go and get some of that formula stuff from the pharmacy. Once or twice, however long you're gone, it won't hurt her."

"But-" Gilbert started.

"You're not old enough not to be sent to your room young man." Mrs Blythe finally chirped up.

"I'm a married man!" he exclaimed.

"Then act like one, and take your Mrs on a date." Bertha told him. "Here." She said presenting the two with money she pushed them out the front door and closed it behind them.

Anne and Gilbert looked perplexed at each other for a moment before Gilbert spoke. "What was that about?" he asked her.

"I…" Anne started. "actually have no idea." She replied equally as confused.

"Apparently we don't sweetheart enough?" he said confused.

"I know." Anne said confused. "I rather thought getting to sleep next to you every night was very sweethearty." Anne said as if it should be obvious.

* * *

Gilbert grinned at her then the two turned and walked down the street. Gilbert put his arm around Anne and asked her. "So, what do married couples do to sweetheart each other?" he asked her with a small grin playing on his lips.

She looked at him her own lips pressed holding back a grin. "Make babies?" not really asking biting her bottom lip playfully.

"Um…" he replied. "I've missed that since you've had Joy." He said in a low voice to her moving his arm down to round her waist pulling her in closer to walk together.

"Me too." She said with a playful smile kissing his jaw briefly. "But…" she said with a laugh holding his arm to her waist "…I don't think we can do that outside." She whispered.

"Well…." Gilbert replied raising his eyebrows "we _could_ …" he said with a chuckle.

"I wish it were an option." Anne said quietly.

"Soon Anne." He whispered. "We'll have our own little clan." He told her "little girls and little boys all playing together, all made out of _us_." He whispered.

She turned into him not caring who saw she cuddled into him he stood and stroked her hair for a few moments before he kissed her there. "Come on." He assured her quietly. They turned and walked some more before he said "So we can't sweetheart like a married couple, what about unmarried?" he asked her.

"We're not dressed to go dancing." She said lightly before he stopped in the street as if he remembered something. "What?" she asked him.

"Its not a formal dance but Phil likes to go to the dance halls in town there's some inform dance called 'ragtime', she keeps talking about. Fancy it?" Gilbert offered.

"Sure." Anne said with a smile they continued their walk her arm through his and she started giggling.

"what?" he asked. "What's so funny?"

"Just, isn't it funny?" she asked. "I finally get to court you."

He grinned "I once told you we were the one couple who could skip that phase." He said then sighed "truth is we should have courted." He said.

"Oh?" she asked.

"Oh not to get closer." He told her frankly "but for there to be some memories of it being just you and me before we were married."

She looked to him sadly "we have a lifetime."

"You know what I mean." He whispered kissing her head again.

"Do you regret…" she started.

"No." he said firmly. "Never, not a moment." He sighed "we should have been courting long before then."

Anne looked at him "we went everywhere together did everything hand in hand, that's what I remember." She told him. "My favourite memories…" she said with a sweet blush "was when we'd fall asleep together, it didn't matter how old." She said with a smile. "It never felt right when I woke up alone."

"and now?" he asked her with a grin playing again at his lips.

"Now…" she said "it feels so right." She said romantically then added practically "when we get to."

He nodded with a light laugh. "Is that what makes you happy?" he asked her.

"It's one of the many things which I'm incredibly happy with in our relationship." She said to him.

"I'm incredibly happy Anne, and I love you so much." He told her.

"I love you too."

* * *

"So ragtime did you call it?" she asked him.

Gilbert nodded, "I understand it's popular among all colours and races." Gilbert commented, Anne nodded in acknowledgement. "I believe its performed as such." He continued. "Or so Phil says."

"Is it just Rag-Time music played?" Anne asked him.

"Phil says not. But I've never been along to them, so I wouldn't know." He said with a shrug.

"Anne!" Phil called to them. "Gilbert!" she smiled as the two walked over. "Well you actually brought the Misses for a date!" Phil said merrily. "We're going to have such a hoot now you're here!" She looked down at her own dress "What do you think?" she asked Gilbert.

He smiled. "It suits you Miss Gordon." He admitted. "You should be able to get some attention from the man of your choice."

"Thanks, that's what I thought!" she exclaimed happily then deflated "if only I'd _meet_ him!"

"Still looking for that ideal?" Anne asked with a smile.

"You know as well as I do I wouldn't bode well in a poor relationship, I need my comforts!" she proclaimed as the two smiled fondly at her.

"Well it's a pity…" Gilbert started pulling out a chair for Anne and waiting for her to sit "Our Friday night get togethers haven't help in that department." He said pushing the chair in and puling another one out for Phil.

She smiled and took the seat. "No, I quite agree that would be the cherry on top." Agreed she "I say cherry because I like Friday nights, they are simulating on their own and I find the icing is already there. So the cherry would be that extra bit of something…" she sighed heavily "Oh where will I meet such a man!?" she exclaimed.

With that said the music started. Most of the group danced while Anne and Gilbert watched for the first dance to see what was happening.

Gilbert watched Anne's face as her eyes played to the music. He's found a feeling rise in his stomach. A familiar feeling but it was as if it was brand new again. It was a feeling he first felt in a train station long ago as she ran towards him. It had started in his stomach that day, when he saw that stream of red hair and dancing grey eyes speed towards him.

He stood and offered his hand for her to take.

"I don't know this kind of dance." Anne said to him looking slightly perplexed.

Gilbert looked behind him for a second then back at her "To be fair based on the foot movement I'm guessing no one else does." He said with a grin which made Anne laugh. "I'd love to dance with my wife." He said to her. She smiled widely and took his hand and they went to the dancefloor. He held her close, as they were husband and wife and they started copying the dances around them. They were both confused for a little while before they got the hang of it but they were soon following suit laughing and dancing as they went. They sat down only to realise they'd been dancing a clear hour together.

* * *

It was only an hour after that they found themselves walking down a street escorting Phil back to her lodging.

"You two don't want to be escorting me home do you?" she asked them.

"We'd rather see you home safely." Anne said with a fond smile to her friend.

They started to walk around a corner when a man bumped into Phil his sheet of paper flying everywhere. "Oh Excuse me, pardon me…" the young man said "I'm so…" he started then looked at the girl he was steadied by his arms holding onto hers. "…so…" he said looking confused at her. When silence pursued when both Anne and Gilbert expected a retort from Phil they looked at their (for once) speechless friend. Gilbert's lips widened to a knowing smile as he nudged Anne.

Phil's eyes were glued to the stranger's face. Neither Anne or Gilbert could see anything particularly attractive to him (some might even say ugly, but neither were quite able to put that label to him as it was there was something very pleasing to his green eyes, which had caught Phil's attention). It seemed however that at least ten seconds passed between the two where Gilbert had started collecting the papers from around the young man. It was this which snapped them out of a trance.

"This is a lot of paper." Gilbert said with a smile. "Are you a writer?" he asked the man.

"Heavens no!" The man exclaimed nervously. "That's to say if I was one there would be nothing wrong with it." He amended himself.

"Good my wife here is a writer." Gilbert said with a smile as he put his arm around Anne.

"You don't say!" The man exclaimed his smile widening. "What do you write?" he asked. "Anything I might have read?"

"It depends, are you attached to reading the women's section of the daily news?" she asked him.

"I like to browse." He said.

"I'm Anne Blythe then, I write…" she started.

"Oh the column every Thursday!" he exclaimed. "My mother loves your stories!" he exclaimed. "I must say we're partial to your kind of writing, up to date and relevant to us, but still has a strong moral story behind it." He said with a smile "and quite by chance I meet you, she'll be green with envy." He said with a laugh. "I didn't realise they employed married women?" he questioned.

"Well I work from home you see." She said with a smile "it give me the flexibility I need as I only need to drop in my work once a week and it frees up space for them."

"Quite yes so." The man said. "And your husband? Mr Blythe I assume?" he asked looking to Gilbert.

"Gilbert." he said shaking his hand. "I'm studying to be a doctor." Gilbert said. "Well hopefully, I'm only in my third-year undergraduate."

"A Doctor?!" he exclaimed. "Good heavens!" he said then looked back to Phil "And your…" he said studying her trying to find how they were related. "Um, sister?" he questioned.

Phil still stood dumbfounded looking at the young man so it was Gilbert who answered.

"Not my sister but our excellent friend, Miss Philippa Gordon." Gilbert looked to her to say something when she didn't he continued with a smile "You wouldn't believe it from her current state but she's quite the accomplished young lady herself. She's currently in league for high honours in every class she takes, she gives them all a run for their money." He said. Gilbert looked back at the man "So if you're not a writer?" he asked.

"Oh it's a paper… well a thesis actually. For my seminary…" he explained.

"Oh so you're studying to be a priest?!" Gilbert exclaimed. "Oh excellent, if all things go according to plan our friend Moody plans to join the seminary not next academic year but the next, when I start medical school." Gilbert explained.

The man nodded. "Which theology?" he asked.

"Presbyterian." Gilbert confirmed.

"Ah my own theology too." He smiled. "Does that mean…" he continued flashing his eyes in Phil's direction. "You're all Presbyterian?" he asked.

"Yes." Anne confirmed. "We are." She looked to the man and said "Sorry I don't believe we caught your name?" she asked of him.

"Oh of course, how rude." He acknowledge. "My name is Jonas Blake." He said.

Phil finally found her voice "I'm Phil." She managed, to which both Anne and Gilbert gave a little burst of laughter.

Phil turned slightly pink as Gilbert continued "That seems to be some paper then?" he asked Jonas.

"Ah yes it is." He acknowledged. "I remember my theological dissertation at the end of my four years at Redmond being hard, I think this is the only paper ever written which is anywhere near as difficult to write." He looked to them all "I take it you're all in Redmond University?" he asked. "You wear their colours."

"All but I." Anne said with a smile. "I graduated last year."

"Excellent." He said. "It's a fine institution, its used in part for the seminary." He said.

"Oh that's right, Seymore building?" Gilbert said bringing it to mind.

"That's right, that's where I'm based." Jonas replied.

"I hope we haven't messed it up?" Gilbert questioned.

"Oh no." Jonas replied lightly "They're all numbered something I learned to do long ago as I was terrible for loosing paper or bumping into things." He said. He looked again at Phil who was still looking at him in soft tones. "Would it be rude of me, or rather bold to walk you home Miss Gordon?" he asked her.

"Um, yes, I mean it's not rude, and it's just the right amount of boldness and..." she trailed and blushed then cleared her throat. "If it's okay with my friends, I shall like it very much if you could walk me home." Phil said.

Jonas' face lit up as he held his arm out to Phil who took it and started to walk with Jonas, she looked back momentarily at Anne and Gilbert who simply grinned and waved her off, Gilbert holding Anne in for a hug.

Anne smiled then whispered to her husband. "What time is it love?" she asked him.

He took out his pocket watch and read it "only half eight." He sighed.

Anne sighed back "Mama said eleven."

"I know." He looked up suddenly and smiled. "I bet the butcher has some cheap cuts left." He said. "Come on."

* * *

It was an hour later they had settled themselves in front of the fire, Gilbert had bought sausages and potato which were now wrapped in the tin foil he bought and was cooking in the fire. "There." He said satisfied sitting next to his wife on the ground her back against a fallen tree trunk he wrapped an arm around her and kissed her hair. "Just like old times." He said with a smile.

She cuddled into him and in the secret of the nightfalling, tucked behind many trees that no one would find them her hand didn't rest on his chest or his stomach but she tucked her hand in the fold of his trousers at the front Gilbert gasped at the initial handing but soon relaxed there, his eyes closed his head resting on the tree trunk. "Mmmm." He sounded bringing her in for a closer hug. "You know I've always loved being tucked away in the woods with you." He told her.

"I bet." She giggled as she squeezed him playfully.

He inhaled deeply controlling himself and smiled when he opened his eyes. He found in the corner of Anne's eye the fire playing in the background, where when he was looking he felt that feeling again. The one so familiar yet brand new. "I think I'm falling in love with you all over again Anne." He whispered slipping his hand under her chemise. He gasped at the bareness there. "No corset again love?" he only half asked and he deeply inhaled again. "You are so perfect!" he said, hearing his own voice deep and husky, like it was when they were making love. He felt her lips at his neck her free hand playing with the buttons and letting loose the collar pulling it off before her fingers went under the shirt, her lips made their way to his ear, she moved herself round to face him his body arched towards her. She finally sat on his thighs and faced towards him. He whispered "We can't love." He managed.

"I know." She whispered. "But we can play can't we?" she asked him.

"Yes." He said as her hands played into his hair their eyes not moving from each other but his soon rolled back. "How is this even possible?!" he asked her.

"What?" she asked him.

"That I am more and more in love with you every day." He whispered looking at her again. "Do you remember all our firelight camping trips?" he smiled. "You remember when we ran away?" he laughed.

"We were going to live in a hut." She smiled. "I would have too." She whispered. "To stay with you."

He grinned slipping his hand up her skirt laying it on her thigh. "We almost got away with it." He smiled. "Too bad your dad found us." He laughed.

"No, I think it was a very good thing he found us." She smiled. "I think we were ill equipped for real life." She said her teeth biting her bottom lip.

Gilbert smiled and then said quietly "You know he said I could marry you one day, if I wanted to?" he said with a grin and a raised eyebrow.

"he did?!" Anne asked him.

* * *

 _Anne was curled up in the back of the buggy under the open sleeping bag she slept._

 _Gilbert sat with her head on his knees stroking her hair gently. A worried look on his face. Walter stopped the horse for a moment letting him rest and came and sat next to Gilbert for the while._

 _"Does Gawain need to rest?" Gilbert asked Walter._

 _"Well, it's a long journey." He told Gilbert with a smile. "Were you really planning on living out here?" he asked Gilbert._

 _"I'd rather live in a cave then be away from Nan." He said quietly. "Do you think I'll marry her one day?" Gilbert asked Walter._

 _Walter looked at him for a moment and smiled. There was no way he knew yet about the sexual side of marriage. "Why do you want to marry Anne?" he asked Gilbert._

 _Gilbert sighed. "You don't want a wife whose idol you know," Gilbert said going serious "You want someone active, someone who can think on their feet and make herself useful." He went quiet for a moment before he continued "I want someone who is smart and who can keep their side of the conversation going, someone who will challenge me when I'm wrong and in fact when I'm right, I don't want a submissive someone, I want them who can stand beside me." He sighed. "I've never met anyone else like Anne." He whispered._

 _Walter smiled and said to her "what about her looks?" He asked._

 _Gilbert sighed "she's the most beautiful creature I've ever clasped my eyes on." He whispered. "And beauty is more the skin deep, right? Other girls are pretty and she is but, she's beautiful."_

 _Walter nodded. "I think she is." He agreed. "Tell you what a gentlemen's promise, between you and me?" Walter asked him._

 _"Okay." Gilbert said a little brighter than before, "How old are you ten?" he fake asked Gilbert to which he nodded. "Come to me, in nine years if you feel the same way. Maybe you can marry her then." He suggested._

 _Gilbert's eyes lit. "I promise you Mr Shirley, I will always take care of her, I will always love her, I will never_ _ **never**_ _let any harm come to her." He said earnestly._

 _Walter nodded. "Only a true son would promise that."_

 _"I promise it, I do, I promise." Gilbert said again tears playing in his eyes._

 _Walter put his arm around the lad. "I know it's a hard thing to ask of you what we are Gilbert, you're so young you don't deserve for it to be thrust upon you like this."_

 _"But it's what we do for family isn't it?" Gilbert asked._

 _Walter nodded. "A sign of a true son."_

 _Gilbert sighed "I'd do the same for you too Mr Shirley." He said quietly. "Is that bad?"_

* * *

 _"No." Walter acknowledged. "It means you're my son too." He whispered tears forming in his own eyes to Gilbert's amazement._

"When your mom said I had her approval then immediately said Walter wanted it to, that it was his approval, its how I knew she was telling the truth. Well that and the day you went off to college he knew I was going to tell you and he had interrupted." Gilbert laughed "he slapped my shoulder and said it was a shame he had interrupted."

Anne giggled in his arms as the whole time they had been wrapped up in each other, but she just smiled at him sweetly. "Well I'm glad you got to discuss it, though I find it strange you never told me it before."

"Not deliberately, just didn't cross my mind." He said. "not even when we were talking about your dad slapping me on the shoulder with Phil that Friday evening."

Anne sighed "Do you think he was thinking about Malachi?" Anne asked Gilbert to which he nodded. "Yeah me too."

"I didn't know at the time." Gilbert took a deep breath "when he died your papa called me his 'son'. Only we knew all it meant I suppose, knowing he thought of me like he did Malachi only adds to the meaning." Gilbert sighed. "I wish I could tell him all this, let him know, you know."

"Is that why you want to provide so much? Because of that promise?" Anne asked him to which he only nodded.

"I promised you'd both be protected and provided for."

"Papa would be proud." Anne said to which Gilbert shook his head "Yes, Gilbert yes!" she told him. "This is unconventional yes, but he knows we are doing what we can for our prosperity in the long run." She kissed into his neck again letting him relax under her.

"I keep thinking, I can't love you anymore then I already do." He admitted. "Every day I wake and I think, 'could I love this woman anymore?' and then every night I lie beside you and I think 'I have loved you more today than I ever have before' I go to sleep and start the cycle all over again." He whispered. "Then you go and do something like carrying a baby and giving birth and I think to myself again how incredible you are and I think to myself 'wow! She's chosen me!'." He said with a grin to her lifting her slightly so his hand slid under her combination drawers and she gasped at his touch at her intimate parts. Gilbert took a deep breath in clearly smelling her as his nose played between her breasts. He looked up at her into her eyes, they were now playing in the moonlight the light reflecting there. "I can't believe you chose me." He whispered.

"I am so glad you love me." Anne smiled. "Is it true Gilbert? You love me more then you ever have?" she asked.

"Aye." He agreed lazily his second hand drew a number eight pattern round her back. She looked into his eyes his other hand coming out from beneath her skirts. His arms wrapped around her and he whispered. "I'm glad we got 'no matter what'." He told her quietly.

"I'm glad my heart chose you, no matter what my brain was telling me, I'm glad I picked you. I'm glad I get to sleep next to you every night, I'm glad that whatever it is that we go through, we go through it together." She told him. "Hand in hand."

He smiled at her then turned his attention to the food. "it should be ready." He admitted. "I'll go wash my hands in the stream over there." He said quietly moving his wife from on top of him and kissing her sweetly. "I'll be right back."

Anne nodded and said "I'll bring the food out." She told him finding some sturdy looking sticks she poked them through the fire bringing the food out.

Anne sighed slightly as she looked for the perfect spot to serve up food, it was then she saw the low bearing branches just opposite from where they were sitting. Anne took the food to the branch and climbed up the perfect tree climbing tree. She sat and watched as a confused Gilbert came back.

"Nan?" he questioned looking for her.

"Over here." She said with a smile. "I know its not a high tree but its sturdy all the same." She admitted.

Gilbert grinned. He sometimes had wondered if he had domesticated her so much that the girl he had fallen in love with was somehow tamed. But his brain told him that no, she was very much still present in the women he loved and adored and he was glad. They ate their food then snuggled in the tree for a while, sitting and chatting over the things they had done, the plans they had in place, they were glad for the space and the time together and they headed back to their make shift house arm in arm Anne head under his chin. They entered the house to find all was calm.

* * *

"You're early." Bertha acknowledged.

"Depends on your definition of the end of a date." Gilbert smiled.

"We figured we'd be going to bed." Anne admitted taking Joy out of the arms of her mother in law.

"And since we'll be falling asleep there."

"It'll be scandalous for two reasons." Anne smiled.

"Firstly we'll be home in the wee hours of the morning, which is so very scandalous." Gilbert started

"And secondly I'll be found in the morning in the arms of my date from the previous night." Anne said with a satisfied grin on her face. She walked over to her mother and kissed her on the cheek. "I hope you're proud of yourself for raising such a daughter!" Anne said in mocked as she went to Gilbert who put his arm around her and kissed into her hair before they turned, walked into the bedroom and shut the door behind them.


	28. The Cooper Prize

**_P_**

Gilbert ran from the building in an excited rush. He was nearing the end of his third year. Anne knew what a busy time it was but Joy was now three months old Anne got resourceful and got some wood which he needed to pick up so they could work together on it and make a cot together and he had to get down to the Timber merchant who closed in ten minutes, it was a fifteen-minute walk. In that moment, he was glad for his athletic training and trim body, he knew one thing, Fred Wright could not make it!

He was late for a reason though, Anne would understand if he didn't make it just he didn't want to disappoint her.

 _"Mr Blythe, might I have a word?" his lecturer approached him._

 _"Um," he thought for a moment, but realised professors rarely approached individual students after the lecture, it must be important "yes, of course Professor Moran." Gilbert said politely._

 _"Am I right in thinking you're wanting to go onto medical school once you finish next year?" Professor Moran asked him._

 _"That's right." Gilbert confirmed._

 _"And forgive me if I'm wrong but you've been winning scholarships and working your way through university?" He continued._

 _"That's right." Gilbert confirmed. "Hard work is good for a man." He said with a smile by way of confirming he didn't mind if he knew._

 _"Quite rightly so." Professor Moran agreed. "Good man, good man." He said. "My office?" The Professor suggested to which Gilbert nodded. The Professors office wasn't far within the same building Gilbert sat on one side of the professors table. "Have you ever heard of the Cooper Prize?" he asked Gilbert._

 _Gilbert frowned and shook his head._

 _"No, no reason you should, it was once, well still is a very prestigious scholarship for students wishing to advance into further education, graduate education law school, medical school that sort of thing. You see it would pay for it, your books accommodation, fees, all you'd need think about is your food." Professor Morgan sighed as Gilbert's eyes widened in interest. "The thing is we've had no viable candidate for it the criteria is so high. It hasn't been taken for five years."_

 _"Oh?" Gilbert asked._

 _"How hard are you working?" Professor Moran asked._

 _"Very hard." Gilbert confirmed._

 _"And your daughter is doing better?" he asked._

 _"Oh yes sir." He said with a proud smile "She's just like her mother." Gilbert confirmed._

 _"Um, Anne, I remember her." Professor Moran nodded. "A force to be reckoned with."_

 _"Yes sir." Gilbert smiled._

 _"Good." The professor confirmed "The weak ones with no opinions are a bit tiring to deal with." He sat down over from Gilbert "I ask these things because in order to get the Cooper prize it will mean harder work, like no other you've done, and wife's sometimes need support."_

 _Gilbert looked over at the professor his own brow furrowed. "Do you think I can get this Cooper Prize?" Gilbert asked._

 _"I've not seen a candidate like you for it for a long long time. It will be hard work, even for you but you can achieve it." He handed Gilbert the papers and looked at him. "I want you to look over the paperwork and talk to Anne about it because it will have a knock-on effect at home."_

 _Gilbert swallowed as he took the papers. "Thank you, professor." Gilbert said with a handshake to him_

 _"I wouldn't give you these papers if I didn't think you could achieve it." Professor Moran told him._

 _"Yes sir." Gilbert confirmed, "thank you sir." He said with a nod. He left the office the papers in hand and he put them in his satchel before he turned and ran out the building._

* * *

His mind hadn't had time to process all he'd been told he was in such a rush, out of breath he arrived at the timber merchant.

"Sorry I'm so late." Gilbert admitted to the shop assistant. "Um, the wood reserved for Blythe please?"

The shop assistant grinned at the handsome man she could barely believe was married. "Your wife assured me you'd be here today to pick it up."

"I got held up at a class." Gilbert smiled. "it's just as well I'm a fast runner." He said with a laugh.

"Forgive me for saying so, but the woman are breadwinners in the house, that's awfully unconventional." The women said, she was about his age and he could tell it was without malice in fact Gilbert could swear he could hear a hint of admirability in it.

Gilbert looked to the young girl in the room and gave her a smile "Well thank you Miss Bond." The girl smiled at him "Its good for a girl to be strong don't you think?" he said.

"Yes, yes I do." Miss Bond agreed. "Your wife gave me the money, all paid for in advanced, thank you Mr Blythe."

"No thank you, we're going to have a fun time making this cot."

"'We'?" she asked.

"Me and my wife." Gilbert told her.

"My my." The girl smiled. "forgive me you must be about my age?"

"Yes I think so, I'm twenty two."

"I'm twenty three." She acknowledged. And your wife, she was the pretty girl with tons of red hair?"

"That sounds like her." Gilbert smiled. "She's only just younger she's twenty."

"Been married long?" she asked.

"A little over two years." Gilbert said the girl looked a little shocked, "we were best friends, tired of people telling us how to act around each other and very in love, we married so no one would separate us and because we were scandalously in love so we decided we should marry Miss Bond, I've never been happier."

"Please call my Laura, we should be friends, not strangers."

"Laura it is." He said with a smile. "Please call me Gilbert."

"So are you a feminist Gilbert?"

Gilbert chuckled a little "You could say that."

"It's just you talk as if your wife, that you believe her equal in her abilities."

"Equal, if not exceeds me in most things. I like to think I can contribute to our marriage though, I plan to go to medical school, I want to be a doctor."

"So, should medical school let women in?" she asked teasing him a little.

"Absolutely!" he exclaimed.

"And the vote?" she asked him.

"Should be given to women equally so." Gilbert said confidently

"Very forward-thinking Mr Blythe." She said.

"It's a very safe position for me to take." He said with a joking tone which made her laugh "my mother in law and wife are breadwinners at the moment, if they decide not to feed me I'd starve." When they finished the joke, he said seriously "But it's my belief that any one, man or women, can achieve anything." He said. "and it's my experience that if you do it affably and graciously people will follow your opinion and emulate you." He said with a smile to her.

Laura nodded. "I want to marry a man who sees me as an equal and will support me as such…" she looked up "and I'm still waiting."

His eyebrows raised and he shrugged "plenty of time yet." He told her.

"My brothers have me off as an 'old maid' and has done since I was twenty-one." She said quietly.

Gilbert's eyes rolled "I'd have less of that attitude in a heartbeat." He said with a smile "but I can't - fault the quality of the timber your brother sells."

"No, my parents taught them well." She smiled.

"Good day to you Mis- Laura*." He said with a smile and the tip of his flat cap.

"Good day Gilbert."

* * *

"Wow!" Anne exclaimed having finished reading the document which had been given Gilbert by the professor.

"Yeah." Gilbert agreed. "He really thinks I can do all this?!" he exclaimed.

"Of course he does." Anne said with a smile. "You're capable of everything." She said with a reassuring smile.

"Its nice to know one of us thinks that." He said looking at her with wide eyes. "Did you read the criteria?" he asked.

"Yes, and I've also seen your marks at university, a little more push and they will match the criteria." She told him.

"A little more push?" he asked her. "Anne, I know what you a sacrificing, I know what your mother is sacrificing for me to do what I am doing. You're up all night with Joy sometimes…" she went to object "don't think I don't know." He said to her. "This would mean me being even less involved, being more focused on my work."

"Short term." Anne emphasised. "Joy adores you and she knows you love her."

"You can't know that she's three months old." Gilbert muttered

"And you turn her head every time you walk into a room." Anne countered. "Gilbert this is an amazing opportunity which would mean you wouldn't have finish college, work in an empty job for who knows how long before you were able to go to medical school." Anne reminded him. "You could go from here straight to medical school."

"And your mother?" Gilbert asked her.

"My mother would do nothing but support us you know this." Anne said a little defensively.

"I want to provide." He said.

"Then provide us with a shortcut to the life we want where you are a doctor and you get to fulfil your dreams." Anne said softly to him holding his hands. He sighed burying his head on the table for a moment before she came around to him and kissed into his curls. "This is an opportunity Gil, to shortcut the world where you could end up working endlessly in a job you don't want just to provide."

"I would do it for you." He whispered.

"I know you would." Anne said letting his head snuggle into her ribs. "But a job isn't just to provide money, its to provide a sense of satisfaction and pride which you wouldn't feel doing anything else." He looked up at her, "I know this." She admitted. "Now if you don't want to be a doctor anymore then…"

"Of course I do." He whispered into her.

"Then I would be no wife at all if I didn't support you in every way I knew how."

"Can I do this Anne?" he asked her.

"Change round the 'can' and the 'I'." she told him.

"I can do this Anne." He said with a smile once he realised what he said.

"That's the spirit."

* * *

 **Laura Borden, Lady Borden** (née **Bond** ; November 26, 1861 – September 7, 1940) was the wife of Sir Robert Laird Borden, the eighth Prime Minister of Canada a well-known feminist and the Borden administration campaigned for and won the right to vote for Canadian women in 1918. Sir Robert also succeeded in having Canada and the other British Dominions gain independent status in the post-war League of Nations. In April 26, 1918 that the Nova Scotia Franchise Act was passed, giving the women of Nova Scotia the right to vote in provincial elections. A month later Sir Robert Borden, Laura's husband, used his parliamentary majority to pass national suffrage for Canadian women. I take my hat off to this woman and her husband Bravo!


	29. Daddy

**Greetings friends! I'm a couple of hours earlier today because something got cancelled last minute and I decided to use the time to do this!**

 **Thank you for the feedback on this.**

 **Gilbert Blythe is indeed a honey CatieGirl and I think this chapter shows it. He's being a daddy here and I think its sweet. It gives some inner processes of where Anne and Gilbert are.**

 **OriginalMcFishie we had a lovely chat about the 'real' people I put in here. I like to. from Dr Wright in the early chapters to Lady Borden! I would love to have lived to see it... however at the same time... I glad I live with flushable loos and better hygienic practices! Just saying!**

* * *

Gilbert lay awake in the early morning as he watched Anne sleep.

He wanted to put into words exactly what Anne meant to him, but he simply couldn't.

He had, for a very long time back in Avonlea, assumed how happy they could be. Granted inside his minds eye it was never like this exactly.

Most mornings he woke in their tiny bedroom in the tiny ground floor they rented. His wife, beside him in bed his daughter asleep in the cot beside them. Joy was a joy! Aptly named if ever a child was. She was now just over a year old. The babe he had feared loosing that long night, he could barely believe it, she was pulling herself up on furniture and getting under Anne's feet wherever she went.

She figured out how to use the baby fork they had given her, preferring to be more adult then baby she had practically taken the fork from Anne's hand and started feeding herself with it. It had made him smile as he was studying for his exams.

These were his last ones and would determine if he would get the Cooper Prize. As unlikely as he found it that he would get it just a year ago, now he coveted it. It could give them what they needed what they so desperately wanted! A chance to go straight from the end of college into medical school. So much was still undetermined in their life, and he didn't like it.

He liked certainties. As a child when going to school _without_ Anne, he didn't like the uncertainty of going into school without friends. He was determined at the time, he wouldn't go without Anne. Again the head of uncertainty hit him again at ten when his father had got sick. At that age, he did the only thing he could to keep things the same. Anne, his constant companion by his side he ran away with her into the night. He _could_ take care of her he _would_ take care of her, something he was still trying to prove to himself now. When he came back to the island, Anne consistent and unwavering ran to him holding him as if they were still children and again that wasn't consistent. Sometime in the three years he'd grown to the start of being a man, and the feelings he felt for Anne were terrifying, they were not the philia* kind of love sort of love and not even storge** love he had often suspected was closer to the kind of love he felt for Anne. But, he found as he got older the burn of a romantic love for Anne, but what was once alien to him became the familiar and he basked in the feeling, the knowledge that it wasn't a crush which would come and go but a certainty. He loved Anne and that was certain. His world crash around him when she had come home telling him she was engaged to someone else. Change again! His mind couldn't comprehend it. It didn't want to. He loved Anne, he loved her, not this Roy fella. So when they did reconcile their feelings when they were finally in the same place he did the only thing he knew for certain which would mean they would never be apart and this time it was for real! They could be together.

Unfortunely it had a very long-term knock on effect of uncertainty.

Could they, would they hold off until the time was right for a baby? The number of near misses where they pulled back and away from each other gasping for control had been… numerous. Her graduation night had been a slip in the wrong direction, but certainly wasn't an unwelcome direction. They had built the cot, they had shopped for an old strollers, partly because they couldn't afford a new one and partly because Anne preferred the old style. Bertha had lined it with a beauty off white silk, perfect for a girl or boy. They had made the diapers and cloths, they had made a lot, but they had managed. They had another mouth to feed and yet the talent of the house managed it.

Anne had sacrificed writing for such a long time. She had only written for the column and sometimes it was hard to get those out, but she never complained. She didn't lose her temper with Joy, instead she was patient and kind. He felt terrible for letting her for making her give up so much. When he voiced it she simply said 'but that's what mothers do' and she went and kissed her own mothers head and moved onto her own child, leaving him to study.

He'd missed most of Joy's first year. Not all. Christmas had been a hoot back at home. She had reached and played for every Christmas decoration on the tree pulling at the decorations on it. She had liked the lights and the tinsel. She had playfully ripped at the paper and then hadn't really understood what the presents were for, but it had been a lovely homemade Christmas with Bertha and his parents surrounding them.

He'd seen out the of corner of his eye her first steps. Ever since Anne had been sitting on the floor bidding her closer and praising her highly for her ability to walk. He'd watch them from afar, wanting to be a more active father, but recognising once again, even if he could give her the life she deserved he would miss this altogether, all of the everyday things. First words, first tooth, first steps. So he sat proud. Proud of the women he had ran away with and proud of the product of their love.

He heard Joy stirring, Anne was still fast asleep so he quickly attended to his waking daughter.

"Dada." She said as he picked her up in his arms.

"Morning Joy." He whispered to her. Reached up to his cheek and with open mouth kissed his cheek before she snuggled into his chest. He chuckled as he moved into the living room with her "well do that to all the boys and they'll be worshipping at your feet beautiful." He told her as he sat in the rocking chair.

She looked to Gilbert then to the door.

"aƱt!***" she said pointing at the door. "aƱt!"

"out?" he asked her.

"eʃ.****" she said looking satisfied.

"Its quite early Joy." Gilbert told her. "How about, I read you…" he said looking around him. "My biology book." He said trying to sound excited about it. "Yeah the human body." He said grinning at her as she looked at him. "Should we start at the beginning?" he asked her.

It was an hour later Anne immerged from the bedroom. At first unnoticed by the two she watched as Gilbert kept referring to the book then in full teacher father mode explained the paragraph to the babe in his arms. Anne body rested against the door frame and she sighed happily.

She was so proud of Gilbert as a father. He fit it so naturally. It was strange in a way because she had been the only other baby he had been around as a child and they had grown together. Yet he was a natural. He sat with his daughter on his knee. Anne couldn't believe she'd ever considered marrying someone else. Roy would _not_ have been like this as a father. Aline had made clear that the nanny would raise the child. If she had failed to produce an 'heir' first time they could try again until a boy was produced. The only reason Dorothy had been born was an accident. 'Parents have no place in a child's life' Aline had said. Anne had dreaded children. But now she looked at Gilbert with Joy ('if I had married Roy there would be no Joy' she thought sadly) this was the kind of life she wanted. They were poor barely had two pennies to rub together at times, but they were _happy_. She felt loved and protected, she was his equal in all things. Her mother was wise, the kind of mother Anne hoped to be one day. She knew not to intervene between them but knew that love blossomed from both the easy times and the hard. She knew Gilbert felt bad for not being the 'man' of the house, but she also made sure he worked for every opportunity to make that dream happen faster.

But Oh! How he loved his daughter. He would sneak time with her whenever he could. Throwing her on his shoulder as she giggled in delight when they would meet him from college. Blowing raspberries on her stomach as she tried to hold his face at arm's length. He knew how to make her laugh. Gilbert often attributed Joy's qualities to her and while there was definitely parts of her in Joy, Oh there was Gilbert! Anne saw it everyday. Her empathy for others was far more like Gilbert's then her own. She wasn't unsympathetic or insensitive by any means but she would watch for the signs of feelings Joy seemed to be able to tell even when you were hiding it. She'd watch curiously from the other side of the room, work out what it was you were feeling then act appropriately. Anne could reel of a dozen other things which were her fathers, her smile was his, the little dimples in her cheek her curly soft brown hair was her father's her cheekbones. She watched him now she stood in awe, how was he making a biology book entertaining to a baby. It was then she walked over kissing into their curls.

"Hello daddy, hello Joy." She said quietly.

"Hello Mama." Gilbert said with a smile to her.

"Mama." Joy laughed. "aƱt!" she said.

"I told her it was too early." Gilbert said with a smile.

"aƱt!" Joy exclaimed again.

"Daddy is right." Anne said to her. "how about we get some breakfast." She laughed. Gilbert stood and put her in the high chair ready for breakfast. "Can I feed her?" he asked Anne.

"Sure." She smiled pulling the pan out "Can you get the oats and milk from the pantry?" Anne asked him.

He got the said articles and then with his free hand held her round the waist and kissed her lips. "I love you, you know that don't you?"

She smiled and reminded him "Always. No matter what." She whispered. "I love you too."

*root word for love in Greek. The Greeks have different words for different kinds of love. This kind means a brotherly friendship between equals kind of love.

**another root words of love This one is a love and affection in family sort of love.

***this is how my little boy is currently pronouncing "out" in the phonetic spelling. I tease and say he sounds Canadian, he's English (as am I).

**** eʃ. Again the phonetic 'spelling' sound of the word, I'm using my boy for example because it all I currently have. It how he says 'yes'. He's 14 months in six days so he's about Joy's age, although you could argue she was premature (he was not) so could be behind in her development verses ages, however this is Anne's and Gilbert's child and my little lad had his one year review at ten months and the midwife team looked in awe as he did everything a 'one year old' could do. So different babies different developments I guess.


	30. Beginning over again

**_P_**

 _Gilbert turned on the bed finding Anne beside him. He smiled before he put his arm around her and cuddled in._

 _"Has mamma came to wake you yet?" she asked him._

 _He let out something between a laugh and a 'hfph' and he tickled her to make her laugh "I thought you were still sleeping." He said as he tickled her._

 _"I can go back to sleep easy enough." She giggled, "not if you keep on tickling me though." She said to him._

 _They giggled together before he managed to 'shh' them._

 _He looked to her and said to her "When we're old and grey, do you think we'll still do this?" he asked her._

 _She giggled "How old is old and grey?" she asked him._

 _He thought for a moment before he said "twenty five."_

* * *

He turned in the bed and found a familiar warmth beside him and snuggled into it not ready to wake yet.

His body snugged behind her as she wiggled into position pressing closer into his intimate areas. He gave out a sigh before she slid his hand to her breast cupping it.

"Don't do that unless you mean…" he trailed before he could finish the sentence she put her hand on top of his squeezing it to her.

He chuckled along with her laughing under the covers of the bed.

"Do you remember when we were younger..." Anne whispered as she turned to face him their legs tangled in each others. "And you asked if we'd still be playing in bed with each other?" she asked him.

"When we were old, I seem to remember saying." He said with a bite of the lip.

"Twenty Five!" she laughed. "You're almost old Gilbert!" she teased him.

"I am, I am!" he agreed. "Well are we?" he asked her.

"Not the same way as we did then." She told him with a kiss. "But…" she flirted "I like to think we still play." She kissed into his neck. He laughed as she did so, then she pulled back. "Are you nervous?" she asked him.

"About today?" he questioned. "Yeah." He admitted. "Our whole futures depend on it."

"Not our whole future." She said quietly. "You're putting too much pressure on yourself." She told him.

"I want the best, for you, for Joy…" he pressed his hand to her stomach "and any other babies which come along."

She smiled in satisfaction "babies huh?" and she bit her lip "Wow."

"Yeah Wow!" he whispered lightly.

She rolled him on his back and climbed on top of him "we best get practicing." She said playfully.

* * *

"Tell daddy he'll be okay." Anne said crouching down talking to her daughter.

"Id be okay Daddy." She said with a laugh.

They all had walked down to the university campus to pick up Gilbert's papers. There were people coming and going, the ones going with varied looks on their faces. Some rejoicing some not so much.

He kissed his daughter with a smile then kissed Anne.

"Good luck love." She whispered.

He nodded and went into the building.

The line he expected to be longer but it wasn't, he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Longer would be more time not knowing, it was both a good and bad thing.

He got his two envelopes as expected one with his results in and one from the Cooper Prize. He turned on his heal and walked outside without opening the envelope.

She looked at him with a smile as he came out "So?" she asked him.

"I haven't opened them yet." He said honestly.

"What?!" She asked him. "Why not?"

He took her by the hand and said to her "because this belongs to us, not me." He said. "Come on, let's go somewhere more private."

They walked across Kingsport to the secret grove of trees they had retrieved to on their date. Letting Joy wander in the forgotten leaves and flowers.

"Pitty." She said picking some of the wild flowers. "Pitty." She told her mother.

"Yes Joy," she agreed "They are very pretty." She agreed and smiled before she looked to Gilbert who sat beside her on the fallen trunk. "Are you ready?" she asked him.

He nodded and looked at the envelopes. "This one is my results." He admitted. "Everyone else's envelopes looked like this." He continued. "okay here we go." Anne turned in attention as he opened the envelope and turned the papers in his hands. His eyes went wide at the results "4.3!" he exclaimed. "In everything?!"

"Oh Gil!" Anne exclaimed happily "You did it! You qualified!" she continued. "Does that mean you have it?" she asked.

"I, I don't know." He said looking at the other envelope in hand shaking. "Is it enough?" he asked Anne.

"Open it!" she encouraged.

"Ya, open it daddy!" Joy said reflecting Anne's tone which made Gilbert chuckle.

He ripped open the envelope then handed it to Anne. "You open it." He said to Anne.

She chuckled then pulled the paper from the envelope. Tears gathered in her eyes and her slender porcelain hand covered her mouth. "No?" he asked her and he swallowed nodding his head as tears started going down her face "Oh Sweetheart, no don't cry, no its okay." He reassured her holding her by the hand. "I'll go back to teaching, I was a good teacher, a really good one actually, and I can make a difference a real difference to the community and the world we live in I… I don't have to be a doctor, and this way, this way we can start our family now, huh? This morning won't be a one-off accident but the start of trying for more? Huh? Anne, it'll be okay, I can be a teacher and we'll be happy."

"No, Gil, yes." She said looking at the paper. "it's a yes." She exclaimed. "My love you won the Cooper Prize, you're going to medical school!"

"Yes?" he asked her.

"Yes!" she agreed handing him the paper. "Yes, my love!"

He looked to the paper then up to Anne then grabbed at her so fast they both went tumbling off the other side of the log with a little squeal from Anne and a gasp from Joy in the silence before both Anne and Gilbert burst into laughter then Joy started laughing.

"Are you okay?" Gilbert asked Anne looking at her beside him on the ground.

"have I ever not been?" she whispered in her giggle.

They laughed for a while before he said seriously "I could only ever do this with you." He smiled and looked at her "I can't wait for our date tonight. At convocation." He said.

"I can't wait either." Anne smiled. "Joy and my mamma going back to the island with your parents."

"Just us." He smiled. "Its been such a long time." He whispered.

"Mamma, daddy." Joy said coming over to them "You okay?" she asked them.

"Yeah baby." Anne confirmed. "You know what this means Joy?" Anne asked her.

"Whad?" she asked her.

"Daddy is going to be a doctor!" she told her daughter getting up off the floor.

"Daddy Doctor!" She exclaimed. "Daddy Doctor!"

Gilbert smiled "yeah baby girl, Daddy Doctor." He agreed.


	31. with me with you

I want to see if anyone notices something odd about the last names in this chapter, names I had to make up for my characters...

* * *

"Anne Blythe?" Professor Ramsay questioned seeing Anne on Gilbert's arm.

"Hello Professor Ramsay." She started.

"Oh please Paul, I haven't been your professor for…"

"Two years." Anne smiled.

"Is it really?" he asked her. "Well I see you are well, your little baby had some problems when she was born?" he remembered

"Yes she did but she's over a year old now. She has a fighting spirit."

"Not unlike her mother." The professor smiled.

To which Anne laughed her eyes sparkled as she looked at Gilbert. "Is that what you're telling people?" she asked him. "I think I see, someone else in her quite heavily and she's a daddy's girl!" Anne laughed as Gilbert blushed.

"Is that so?" The Professor asked. "Your husband would have us believe she is all you."

Anne bit into her cheek and looked at Gilbert lovingly "I think you'd find someone else in there, professor." Anne said to the Professor.

"Save me a dance young lady." He said to her to which she nodded, he turned to Gilbert "Congratulations Mr Cooper." He said with a chuckle.

Gilbert smiled "Well I couldn't have done it if it weren't for my excellent professors." He said with a grin.

"They'll be lucky to have you at that medical school." Professor Ramsay said. "And I heard you are now head of your fraternity." He said to Gilbert to which Anne looked at him surprised.

"You are?" she asked him.

"Um, yes, but it wasn't generally knowledge yet, I was going to tell you tonight before they announce it tomorrow, how did…" he started then looked at the professor "Of course!" he exclaimed "You're one of the illusive elders!" he said in a low tone.

To which he nodded. "Congratulations." He smiled and walked away.

"Yes!" Anne exclaimed looking at him. "Congratulations!" she said.

"I only found out this afternoon Anne, honest, I was going to tell you." He assured her.

"I know you would." She smiled.

"Dance with me?" he asked her. To which she nodded and let him lead her to the dance floor.

Gilbert held her closer than any of the other couples on the floor. Anne smiled at it. Their relationship had always been on the edge of proprietary. It was a delicate balance, Anne had learned.

 _As children, they were closer than a girl and boy ever should be, she remembered on several occasions a certain Mrs Lynde reprimanding her mother for allowing them to be friends "Do you want to be a grandmother by 30?" she had asked Bertha. "That's what happens when a girl and boy are close." The matron then had turned to Anne and told her not to "Curious about a little boys tinker" Both Gilbert and Anne had cringed at this as young children._

 _"Why would I be interested in your tinker?" Anne had asked him._

 _"Um," he wondered himself "because you don't have one?"_

 _"But mine's on the inside, mamma told me that!" Anne exclaimed._

 _"Well how should I know?" Gilbert had asked her. "Are you interested in it?"_

 _Anne had thought for a moment "Can you hold your tinky water for longer?" she asked._

 _Gilbert thought then shook his head "How should I know?" he asked her._

 _Anne shrugged then said "I'm out."_

 _That had been the extent of the conversation at (her) aged six._

The question was held off during their teenage years thanks to them not really spending that time together, but then, when they started spending any time together, any time the old biddies of Avonlea would question and prey, and this time telling Anne and Gilbert not to interested in the intimate parts of each other caused both faces to go red in cheek. They would be awkward with each other for about two hours before they relaxed enough.

Then came marriage.

Anne looked up into his eyes and saw his hazel eyes almost black they were so dark, deep and intense as he watched her now. But they were the eyes she had fallen in love with.

"I love you Gil." She whispered all at once. He looked down with a lopsided smile with a proud glint in his eyes "Love you too Nan."

"Gilbert," A voice interrupted them.

Gilbert smiled at the interrupting professor "Professor Moran." He said with a smile.

"I told you, you could do it Blythe." He said. "Congratulations."

"I can't thank you enough." Gilbert replied. "You remember my wife Anne?"

"I do indeed Mrs Blythe, it good to see you again, inside the university not outside of it, though you seemed to have lost someone?" he questioned about Joy.

"She's gone back to the island with my mother to spend some time with both grandparents back home."

"It'll be good for her to spend time with her grandparents, my eldest has only just turned sixteen, another couple of years or so, I should get the joy of my own." He smiled.

"Mr Blythe," someone else interrupted them.  
"Oh, Doctor Preston." Gilbert said with a smile. "Excuse us, Professor." He said turning to his old tutor.

"Please, don't worry we can catch up later." He said walking away.

"Anne, this is Doctor Preston." Gilbert said with a smile.

"Yes, Doctor Preston," Anne smiled. "I've heard so much about you, from both Audrey and my husband." She laughed sweetly. "Is she here tonight?" Anne asked him.

"Yes, she is." He admitted. "I must admit Audrey loves your company Mrs Blythe, and that of your daughter's."

"Oh that's lovely to hear we enjoy her company too, she's a sweet girl, both Phil and Gil have made comment on just how intelligent she is in class."

"Well she speaks highly of your husband and I'll admit from his volunteering at the hospital I must agree, I'm looking forward to having him in the hospital for a little while." He smiled at the pair then followed up with "but I must apologise you're on the dancefloor. You must be bursting to dance with your wife."

They danced for a while then found their place at the tables. They were talking to Phil when they saw Roy approach.

"I don't mean to spoil your evening." He said quietly. "I just wanted to come and congratulate you Gilbert, top of the class and the Cooper…" he said with a smile "You seem to know how to work for all the prizes." He said to him.

"Oh, um, Thanks." Gilbert said genuinely. "It was a lot of hard work." He acknowledged.

"and with that charming daughter of yours." He said with a smile. "I've seen Joy around campus with Anne, she's a credit to you both."

"Thank you." Gilbert said with a smile. "How are things on that front for you?" he asked Roy.

"Oh, there's um, been no one since Anne." He said quietly.

Gilbert looked to Roy thoughtfully for a moment before he said "You know I think I may have an answer for that." Gilbert admitted.

"Oh Gil, you don't need to…" he started.

"No come now, what can it harm by just meeting a girl?" Gilbert said. He looked through the crowds to see who he was looking for. "Come on please." Gilbert said.

He walked across the floor with Roy and Anne following, Anne wondering what Gilbert was doing when he came to a stop in front of a girl about their age, flawless blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Audrey." Gilbert greeted with a smile. Roy looked at the girl like a deer would to headlights.

"Gilbert Blythe!" She said giving him a smile. "Well, look at you, Mr Cooper aren't you glad you put all that extra work in now?" she teased him.

"Yes, yes I am." Gilbert said then talked directed to Roy while including Audrey in the exchange "Audrey here was on my science course and a serious contender for first place, in everything." Gilbert smiled.

"Oh hush now I was never a threat to you." She argued.

"Audrey was accepted into Medical School in the states." Gilbert said with a nod to her. "Though you know I think its disgraceful you would need to go there to get the education you want, don't you agree Roy?" Gilbert asked Roy who hadn't taken his eyes off Audrey since he first saw her.

"Oh, um, yes." He acknowledged. "You… you want to be a doctor?" he asked her.

"Heavens no!" Audrey protested. "No, pap is a doctor and all I wanted to do is prove to him I could do it if I wanted to." She smiled with a slight blush to him.

"Oh how rude of me," Gilbert brought them both back to earth for a moment "Miss Audrey Preston this is Mr Royal Gardner, I can't believe I never introduced you, I meant to do it months ago. Roy, Audrey's father Doctor Preston is a very prominent doctor over in the hospital, I've been shadowing him for the past semester."

He smiled to her saying smoothly "what is it you wish to do with your life Miss Preston?" She bit her bottom lip and wouldn't say which only seemed to intrigue him more. "Can I take your hand for this dance?" He asked her.

To which she nodded. Gilbert and Anne quite ignored on the side line but Anne came around to her husband linking into his arm and walked across the room back to their table "He's struck." Anne smiled.

"Yeah." He agreed.

"Did you know that would happen?" Anne asked him.

Gilbert shrugged. "Audrey is smart, and sweet, actually she reminds me of you in some ways. There's no reason why it wouldn't happen." He concluded. "Besides I stole his last girlfriend, it's the least I could do, to introduce him to his future wife."

Anne's eyebrows shot up as she said "You really think so?" she asked looking back to see a blushing girl in a handsome man's arms, Anne looked back her eyes playing in sweetness, the tenderness of the start of something.

"Yeah." Gilbert replied. "I really do."

Anne looked up at Gilbert and hugged into his arm before they made it back to the table. "were we ever like that love?" she asked him as she watched Roy and Audrey dance.

"No love." He admitted. "we were always in love, there was no point of meeting, no falling in love, we just…" he sighed then smiled at her "…were." He admitted.

She smiled and a blush came to her cheeks "that's true." She said in return. "Aren't you glad?" she asked.

"Yeah." He acknowledged, "Yeah I am."

She reached under the table and put her hand onto Gilbert's knee and squeezed it. "I'm the luckiest girl in the whole world." She told him directly.

* * *

That evening Anne tucked herself into bed next to him, she slid up close wrapping her leg round him snuggling into his side and chest. She lay there trying to thinking of Roy and Audrey, Anne tried to think of 'that' moment she had with Gilbert. She searched her memory but could find no memory of falling for Gilbert, she had always always loved him. The romance of it being shared didn't come until almost four years ago and that sharing, that is when it had become so intense and real for her.

 _"Well one thing led to another she asked me if I wondered what it would be like to kiss someone... And then... She kissed me." His eyes had flicked to hers and they were so intense, full of desire, love, wanting, pleading her to love him._

 _When he had practically begged her just to be her "Because you marry your best friend... You want to tell them you love them over and over again in the hope it might relieve some of the emotional tension... But you can't, I just can't!…Come on Anne, you are in there aren't you? You're in there somewhere screaming to be set free!" Then the words which still sent chills down her spine "Tomorrow when I walk you down that isle, when I give you away, I'm giving away my best friend and I'm giving you away to another man. So don't tell me we'll still be best friends, when its hurting me so much to give you, the real you, away!"_

Gilbert looked down at her in his arms, he felt the shiver in her "Are you cold love?" he asked her.

"No." she said truthfully. "I'm never cold in your arms." She smiled up at him. "I'm just thinking…" she started then sighed before she continued "The day before I was due to marry Roy, what you said about marrying your best friend and you were giving me away to another man and how much it was hurting you to do it and how we couldn't still be best friends." She whispered.

He kissed her and whispered back "It was killing me." He admitted.

"I know." She admitted. "I didn't know."

"I know." He said.

They looked at each other tenderly they couldn't say how long they lay there awake just wrapped in each other's arms but what they could tell you is that they fell asleep that way.


	32. Times a changing

Okay folks this is where the timelines get more complicated, hold on to your hats!

* * *

 _ **F**_

Anne knew it in an instant. She took a heavy sigh but at least she knew it would be some time soon.

"Joy?" she called for her daughter. Anne walked down the garden calling her name.

"Up here Mama." Joy said with a giggle as her mother looked up. "Aren't you shocked? I climbed a tree!"

Anne managed a smile as she looked at her daughter "if you were someone else's daughter I might be, what made you get up there?" she asked as Harmon appeared from behind the trunk of the tree.

"Hullo Mrs Doctor Blythe." He said to her.

"Hello Harmon dear." She said with a smile "I should have known you'd be involved." She said with a smile.

"Daddy said we could have some of the strawberry apples from the orchard and said you and he used to climb trees. If you did it then I can."

Anne suppressed a smile. "Indeed." She said. "Do you know where your father went?"

"I think he went to see Aunty Diana." Joy said. "I think Aunty Diana's tummy will pop!"

"Aunty Diana has another five months to go, she'll be just fine." Anne said refraining a smile. "Would you mind going to get him? Tell him mummy needs him. You can take Harmon with you."

Joy took a heavy sigh "Okay." She reluctantly agreed.

"Okay." Anne reflected with a roll of the eyes, Anne headed back into the house.

This was the third time she had gone into labour, each time had been different, she had came to the conclusion there was no absolutes just, she had to deal with it as she went along.

This was the first time Gilbert would be a fully qualified Doctor though, she thought with a smile.

 ** _P_**

The last time he had be a very tender first year medical student. They were both very nervous when it came to the time where the baby could be born, but the due day came and went and still a week later there was no baby.

"I feel like a house!" Anne exclaimed.

"Well you are to a very little baby." Gilbert said with a smile.

"I want this baby out!" Anne demanded to him.

"I can't make it come Anne." Gilbert said with an eye roll.

"Says who?" Anne demanded.

"Profession Wilson," Gilbert joked, "they taught us that the first day."

"They did not." Anne mooded.

"Don't rush." Gilbert said. "That's what they said, don't rush in diagnoses don't rush in an operation theatre, just don't rush and I think the advice applies here."

"Oh what do you know, you're only a first year." Anne tutted.

Bertha smiled as she held the now two year old Joyce. "Why don't you go for a long walk." Bertha suggested.

"Will that work?" Anne asked her.

"It can't hurt." Bertha tried. "I have Joy, you and Gilbert go for a walk along the shore, it might be your last chance before the baby comes."

They had taken Bertha up on the offer walking along the shore.

"I'm sorry Gil." She muttered. "I didn't mean…"

"I know." Gilbert said with a kiss to the head his arm around her. "you've been cooked up in the house too long waiting for the baby." He said. "We're too much alike we need the outdoors." He said with a grin.

"Its not like home here." Anne said quietly. "I miss the red sands and soils of the island." She admitted.

"Well…" Gilbert said bringing her closer to him "Maybe we can arrange that for the next one." He said with a smile.

"The next one?!" Anne exclaimed. "Steady on there solider, one baby at a time!" to which they both laughed. Gilbert brought out the picnic blanket and sat them on it so they could sit and listen to the waves crash against the shore.

He looked to her sitting beside him and moved closer to her kissing the spot right behind her ear. "I love you." He whispered as he buried his lips into the nook of her neck and shoulder putting his arms around her, one round her back and the other resting on her baby bump. He let out a relaxed sigh and whispered "Do you have any idea what it does it me, knowing its my baby in there?" he told her.

"Oh?" she said innocently.

"It makes me want to…" he trailed whispering in her ear something which made her blush, a fantasy to him, something she could give so easily.

"Go on then." She said with a smile and a bite of the bottom lip.

He looked at her and smiled. "Here?" he asked.

"There's no one around." She said with a shrug "and its cold enough that only we are mad enough to be down here." She said logically. "So we won't be disturbed."

"Nan…" he whispered hotly kissing her more lying her on the blanket he hand moved down to her thigh he gathered the skirts in his hand then slipped his hand in place of the skirts and she gasped in delight for a moment before his hand found his way under the remaining layers. She turned slightly and they kissed passionately as Anne enjoyed Gilbert's ministrations with his hand.

Her mind was fussy when he pulled back after her peak. His hand stayed where it was and he snuggled into her side and kissed again into her neck. "You are **_so beautiful_** when you do that!" he whispered to her resting his head on her chest. "I love making your heart do that!"

"I love you making my heart do that." She whispered her face still flushed. "You know I know we don't always make love" she said to him and she kissed into his curls "but I love how intimate we are despite the fact…" she blushed as his hand coming up her returning her skirts to the right place.

"I think we more than make up for it where the deed is already done." He said with a smile.  
"One day we won't need to." Anne whispered to him.

"I can't wait." He whispered to her. "I mean I can I will but…" he sighed. "I want us to be able to express ourselves, like that… without worrying about…" he buried himself in her arm "…I'm being selfish."

"No you aren't. I wish we were like that too love." She said as he looked up to her his hand swept across her bump the baby moved against his hand as Anne gasped. "That woke him!" Anne exclaimed. She giggled as the bump appeared to be following Gilbert's hand across her stomach.

"This is amazing!" Gilbert smiled.

"You should feel it from this side." Anne laughed. "I wish I could share with you…ahhh!" she squirmed at the baby's movements as Gilbert bit his lip laughing.

His mouth went to the bump and he whispered "Come on, we want to meet you." He whispered and he kissed her stomach lightly.

They lay back for at least another hour just talking about the little things in life, Gilbert's first year in medical school, Anne's new column for the newspaper, Joy's chatting, how they were going to introduce her properly to being a big sister. They smiled they lay close before they realised the sun was lowering in the sky they agreed they should head back. Gilbert helped her up from the blanket and as she stood she felt a rush below where she sighed.

"What's wrong?" Gilbert asked her.

"My waters have broken." She said. His lips widened to a smile and he kissed her gently. "Apparently he just needed a word from daddy." Anne smiled.

He broke to a full smile and said to her "he's coming!" Gilbert said.

Four hours later Anne held a ten pound baby in her arms. Gilbert opened the bedroom door where Bertha had sat up, putting Joy in her now cot in her bedroom. Bertha looked to her son in law and could tell by the look on his face that joy was evident this time.

"Anne has sent me to tell you that a certain young gentleman has arrived here. He hasn't brought much luggage with him, but he evidently means to stay."

"Him?!" Bertha exclaimed. "I have a grandson?" she asked him.

"You have a grandson!" Gilbert smiled as she embraced him for a hug.

"He's happy and healthy?" Bertha asked before the baby let out a huge cry showing the power of his lungs."

" He weighs ten pounds and—why, listen to him! Nothing wrong with his lungs, is there? Do you want to meet him?" He asked her.

"I can?" she asked before she went into the bedroom seeing her daughter sitting up in bed, no doubt she was tired but it was so different to the day of Joy's birth. Anne was a glow in the bask of motherhood. The baby in her arms. Anne looked up at her mother.

"Ma." She whispered.

"Look at him!" Bertha exclaimed "You'd never know he was newborn!" she exclaimed. She looked at him again. "Oh Anne he's perfect!"

"Look at his hands and his feet his tiny nails and look at his hair!" Anne exclaimed.

"So much!" Bertha smiled.

"So much." Anne agreed. "Here." Anne said holding the baby out to her mother "Hold your grandson…" she said as Bertha took him "…Walter." Anne finished to which Bertha looked up first to Anne as the tears pooled in her eyes then up to Gilbert.

"Really?!" she asked.

"When we were picking names for Joy we agreed for a boy it would be Walter first. For Pappy." Anne smiled.

"Oh Anne! Gil" Bertha sobbed. "Oh he's gorgeous! Oh look at those eyes those are your daddy's eyes."

"And his forehead, doesn't he look like Gil, isn't he handsome?" Anne smiled.

"That he is." Bertha agreed.

 _ **F**_

The memory was clear in her head as if it was yesterday but it was three years ago. She smiled as she knew the time was nearing. Her contractions were a faithful two minutes apart, she stopped briefly to let the contraction pass before she headed again towards the house, she felt sure her waters would break any moment she knew from Gilbert's medical books this would move things along.

She went into the house and greeted her mother. "Is that water ready?" Anne asked her.

Bertha nodded "and the towels are all out ready, do you need help getting the sheets on the bed?" she asked her daughter.

"Yes, although not immediately, I still have time. My waters have broken but my contractions are still two minutes apart." Anne admitted. "Joy has gone with Harmon to get Gilbert, once they come back we can send Harmon home and there should be plenty of time to get Joy and Walter over to farm." Anne admitted.

"Anne?" Gilbert called coming in the house running to find his wife. "Joy she said you needed me, is it time?" he asked her.

Anne chuckled walking over to Gilbert and kissed him on his forehead. "Its time _Doctor_ Blythe."

* * *

I noticed a small mistake on this chapter after I published it I went in and changed it and four people had already viewed, I'm not sure if I fixed it in time if I didn't I apologies my friends, you were all very trigger happy today!


	33. Life is moving

**You know it didn't occur to me to write the birth yet of baby number three... looks like I know what's coming next.**

 **I know, I know I'm early with my stories this week...**

 **I have a cold, I can't guarantee I will be awake tomorrow to post! So you're getting them now!**

 **love you all**

 **Carrots x**

* * *

 _ **P**_

"You know this is probably the last luxurious thing I'll ever get it do in my life." Phil pondered as she looked herself in the mirror, to which Anne smiled as she arranged her friends' hair. "Ironic, isn't it? By marrying a man as poor as they come I feel the richest women in the world."

"I think," Anne said her smile widening "That its beautiful."

"Oh Anne I'm so nervous." She said her voice shaking.

"Nervous?" Anne asked. "What about?"

"What about?!" Phil exclaimed. "Well you of all people should know Anne, about the in's and out of being a wife!" she exclaimed turning back to her reflection in the mirror. "Oh, I do wish to be a good wife but I'm sure I won't be!" she said annoyed with herself.

"What would make you say that?" Anne asked her.

"Look at me!" she exclaimed. "I wasn't made to be a minister's wife! I'm far too good looking… and shallow, always shallow."

"You are not!" Anne said firmly. "When you are yourself you are a wonderful deep person and any man would be lucky to marry you, especially with your looks."

"I don't know any scriptures, what if people come to me asking me for spiritual guidance?" she asked Anne.

"Memorize one or two scriptures." Anne said with a smile "I'm sure Jonas will be able to help you pick out which ones then just recite them as they come." Anne thought for a moment "and anyway you didn't attend the seminary, if people were really looking for spiritual guidance they would go to your husband, what's needed is someone with a practical physical guidance, which you have in abundance, someone who is good with children, and we both know how Joy loves you."

Phil smiled "Oh but Joy is so easy to love!" she exclaimed. "Speaking of which where is our Joy?"

"Gilbert said he would keep her, since he didn't have an active part in the service." Anne got up from her resting place before Phil spoke again.

"Anne wait, there's something else I'm worried about." She exclaimed.

"Oh?" Anne asked.

Phil blushed slightly "I know I'm a terrible flirt but I've never actually, I mean, I am still a virgin and my mother has given me horror stories and I just want to know if they're true!" she exclaimed suddenly.

Anne smiled softly and sat on the bed behind her. "Oh, the intimacies." She smiled. "Honestly," she said frankly "it was a relief."

"Relief?!" Phil exclaimed.

Anne chuckled before she said quietly "I had loved him all my life, I can't remember not loving him, we were best friends as children, inseparable in fact, it was a relief to share all of me with him. No judgements no people nothing between us, nothing no society no one separating us, we could be really intimate, I could sleep with him without judgement I could finally just… we could be us!" Anne exclaimed.

Phil smiled suddenly reassured "its not just sex that makes you intimate?" she asked her.

"It's certainly part of it." Anne admitted, "and it would certainly be missed if we suddenly had to stop." She admitted. "It was like that immediately with us, which is probably just as well with our circumstances, we were bonded somehow, physically, mentally, spiritually." Anne sighed happily. "I never experienced any sort of awkwardness or discomfort with Gilbert in that way." She admitted. "All I know is if I ever did, we'd solve it together. We work better, together." She looked up and smiled at Phil "As will you and Jonas." She advised.

Phil took a deep breath and looked at Anne. "You know that does make me feel better, you really think so?"

Anne smile broke widely "I think, Mrs Blake, with the expectation of my own marriage, yours will be the very happiest there could be."

* * *

Gilbert picked up an excited Joy up in his arms and carried the giggling tot off the ferry as they arrived back in Kingsport.

"Don't do that!" she exclaimed excitingly as he tickled her in his arms.

"Don't do what?" he asked with a laugh. "This?" he teased tickling her again.

"Yes!" she managed breathlessly between giggles when Gilbert did stop Joy bounced in his arms "Again!" she exclaimed.

"You just told me to stop!" Gilbert teased her as he went to tickle her again as she laughed again.

"Where's mama?" she asked him.

"She's coming." Gilbert assured her.

"Baba makes her sick?" Joy asked him.

"Yes Joy." He confirmed. "The new baby is making mama sick." He smiled. "Like you did when you were a baby." He smiled as she looked confused for a moment "because you came from Mammy's tummy too!" he told her.

"No!" she exclaimed shaking her head.

"Yes!" he laughed with her.

"Is Nanny Budda wid mama?" she asked.

"Yes, they'll be coming off the ferry soon." Gilbert said to her. "Should we sit over here and wait for them? We can watch the people walk by and make up stories for them?" he offered her.

"Ya." Joy replied.

They sat and waited for a couple of minutes while the ferry disembarked Anne and Bertha being the very last two off.

Gilbert smiled at his wife and kissed her on the forehead. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

"I should be okay for a few minutes." She acknowledged.

"Then lets get you home as soon as possible." Gilbert said gently "then we can get you to bed."

"Okay." She agreed, almost too weakly for Gilbert's liking.

* * *

It was a few days later there was a knock on their door.

"Are you expecting someone love?" Gilbert asked Anne.

"No." Anne replied a little confused herself.

Gilbert moved towards the door and opened it, smiling in surprise. "Roy, Audrey!" Gilbert exclaimed. "This is a surprise! Come in." he smiled.

"We won't bother you too long." Roy smiled.

"We just wanted you to be the first to know." She said coming in with Roy in closely behind her.

"Its no bother, friends are always welcome." Anne smiled.

"I told you they would say that." Audrey said to Roy directly.

"You did indeed." He smiled as they sat on the sofa opposite the rocking chair Anne was sitting on.

"Aunty Aubie!" Joy exclaimed running to her.

"Hello Joy!" she smiled picking up the child.

"I been an Adolea." Joy told her.

"You've been to…" Audrey started.

"Avonlea." Anne smiled.

"Oh Avonlea, you've been home!" Audrey confirmed.

"It is beuful!" Joy told her.

"It is that." Roy confirmed. "I must admit Avonlea is one of the prettiest places I've ever had the privilege of visiting."

"well you should come up and visit sometime." Gilbert suggested.

"Maybe we will." Roy smiled. "On our wedding tour."

Anne looked wide eyed in surprise whereas Gilbert exclaimed happily "What?!"

"We're engaged!" Audrey confirmed.

"Oh Audrey!" Anne exclaimed getting up as Audrey did the two women hugging "Congratulations!" Anne exclaimed.

Gilbert smiled at Roy and shook his hand in the meantime. "Congratulations!" Gilbert said with a smile.

Roy smiled and looked briefly over to Audrey and Anne who were cooing over Audrey's new ring "you managed to introduce me to my future wife." Roy said to him.

To which Gilbert physically laughed "least I could do." To which Roy gave a half chuckle to.

"She's lovely." Roy said quietly.

"Yes, I thought you might take a fancy to her." Gilbert admitted.

Roy let out an auditable sigh and turned to Gilbert "I won't let them do that test on her." He whispered to Gilbert.

To which Gilbert smiled "Good."

"You were right on that part." He admitted.

"I know." Gilbert said with a smile. "Do me another favour though Roy?" Gilbert asked of him.

"Of course anything." Roy offered.

"Let the bride choose her wedding, not your sister." Gilbert suggested. "Your bride will be much happier."

Roy looked to Gilbert in surprise "She didn't like it?" Roy asked surprised.

"Detested it." Gilbert said with a chuckle.

Roy looked genuinely shock. "I had no idea." He admitted. "No wonder I never knew her." He said shaking his head.

They were interrupted by a loud shriek which came from Audrey which made Roy jump in surprise.

"You're pregnant!" She cried. "Oh Anne!"

Roy looked to Gilbert and smiled widely. "Congratulations." He said genuinely.

"Thanks." Gilbert said.

Roy nodded and said "everything turned out right in the end."

* * *

Gilbert walked in with the biggest pile of books and folders Anne had ever seen him with, the books thumped as they hit the table and Gilbert sat on a chair and sighed looking at them.

"Bit of light reading love?" Anne said looking at the books.

Gilbert chuckled and looked to Anne "I have to learn, all of this." He told her matter of factly.

"By the end of the year?" she questioned.

"Oh no, that would be reasonable." He offered offhanded "No my dear little lady…" (to which Anne smiled because she knew he was being sarcastic) "Its not even the end of the semester, because I think that would be doable." He sighed "I have to learn this by the end of the month."

"No!" Anne exclaimed surprised. "Are you joking?" she asked him.

"I only wish I were." Gilbert stated his bottom lip showing a bit of a pet where he took a deep breath. "I don't know if I can do this Anne." He said looking for the first time since they were six a bit intimated by school.

"Of course, you can do this." She said with a smile to him "You've got me." She said with a smile to him and a kiss a top of his head.

He smiled gratefully taking her by her waist and pulling her to him he cuddled into her stomach for a moment enjoying the embrace "You'd have me believe I could do anything." He whispered.

Anne laughed and looked down at her husband with merriment. "Gilbert, we married four years ago we have a two-year-old and another growing in me. We thought we had lost each other then found each other just in time. We've survived through adolescence to find on the other end that the person we wanted to marry had slept with us since before we could comprehend the differences between us. We married came here and we've been living in this tiny apartment since we got here, and we've worked our way to this point, worked with each other for each other and challenged society, ourselves and our relationship as we went, and you know what I've learned dearest Gilbert?" she asked him.

"What have you learned?" he asked her.

"Nothing is impossible."


	34. What a Jem!

"Walter look!" Joy exclaimed. "its your baby sister!" Joy tried to explain.

"Brother." Anne corrected her.

"Is it?" Joy asked. "But he's sooo pretty!"

Anne laughed in merriment "Yes, he is definitely a boy we checked." Anne told her.

"You mean his peepee?" Joy asked innocently.

"Yes Joy." Anne smiled.

"What's his name?" Joy asked.

Anne smiled "We like the name John, after your Granpappy Blythe."

"John." Joy smiled at the babe.

"Jem." Walter said.

"No not Jem." Gilbert corrected. "John." He smiled picking up Walter lovingly and said to him again "John."

"Jem." Walter laughed at the look on his fathers face.

"I like Jem." Joy smiled. "like a jewel, and he's precious like a jewel!" She exclaimed.

Gilbert looked to Anne who smiled back. "It is John, but maybe Jem for a nickname?"

"Yes, Jem." Walter said then Anne and Gilbert both looked to him with a grin to the little boy which made him burst into laughter.

"Mammy?" Joy asked.

"Yes Joy?" she replied.

"Not that I'm not glad to have another little brother…" Joy started "Buuuuutttt do you think you could have a little girly next to even out the numbers?" she asked her mother.

Anne giggled gently as Gilbert answered "They don't come to order Joy, we don't get a say on the gender of the baby."

"Really!?" she asked "You didn't ask for me?"

Gilbert put Walter of the floor carefully and scooped up Joy in his arms "let me make one thing very clear Joyce Blythe." He told her. "We may not get a say on what came out, but from the moment you were in mummy's tummy we wanted you and we loved you and we never ever will stop wanting you or loving you." He told her gently. "Do you understand me?" he whispered.

Joy turned and looked her daddy in the eyes she took his cheeks in her hands kissed him squarely on the lips. "I'm so glad you're my daddy." She said wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I'm so glad I am your daddy Joyce." He whispered hugging her closer into her. "You'll never know how much."

Anne smiled softly to her husband as Walter climbed on the bed beside her to get a closer look at the baby.

With this Bertha came into the room and smiled at the little family. Hers and Walter's prosperity. She sighed contently and wished Walter was here, watching beside her. She knew what he would say.

 _"Look at what our baby girl did!" he'd exclaim. "Again."_

 _"Baby number three." She's reply. "Another boy."_

 _"The blessings of a family." He smiled. "We have a beautiful daughter."_

 _"We do." Bertha agreed._

 _"We have the best son in law."_

 _"That we do."_

 _"And three beautiful Grandchildren." He would sigh and say "All is right in the world."_

Bertha smiled playing with her engagement ring on her finger and she smiled at the scene "Yes Walter," she whispered "All is right in the world."

"Mamma." Anne smiled softly looking over.

"Its time to rest baby girl. Walter, Joyce come with Nanny Bertha, its time to let mammy rest."

The children ran to their grandmother leaving the room before Anne and Gilbert looked at each other softly.

"You need rest Nan." He said softly.

"No." she replied frankly. "I feel so alive with my little babies. Yes I'm tired but I never can sleep." She admitted.

He grinned and chuckled "Its been twelve hours." Gilbert smiled taking his shoes off and sitting on the bed side her. "But…" he said to her "we can spend it here." He whispered finally lying on the bed.

"Look at him Gilbert, I think he's the most perfect, he's sooo handsome! Like his daddy."

"He doesn't look like me, well not yet anyway, but I agree he is, well as Joyce said 'pretty' he's 'pretty."

Anne laughed weakly "Yes, pretty I like that." The babe opened his eyes and looked at his mother. His eyes were grey with no hint of green to them, and he was born with a full head of almost black hair. "he's beautiful, I think the most perfect yet." She whispered.

Gilbert smiled gently "You always say that."

"That's because its true Gil." She sighed. "Who would have thought Gilbert, all those years ago when we were babies playing together, who would have believed we could make such miracles." She sighed happily hugging herself and baby into her husband. "Does Avonlea need their doctor?" Anne asked him.

"There's another doctor in town." Gilbert said softly. "They can wait."

Anne smiled against his chest "yes, but not the best doctor in town, and people are starting to notice, you'll be missed."

"And if I leave here now I'll be missed, I'd rather be missed by them then you." He told her.

"We are so blessed." She said in relief.

"That we are." He sighed happily.

"Do you think papa would like to meet his grand child a little sooner than he did with the others?" Anne asked him.

"I think that would be wonderful sweetheart, but my love, not today."

"Okay." She said her eyes drooping shut.

Gilbert smiled "You're tired."

"No, I'm not." She protested but didn't try to open her eyes.

"Yes you are, I can always tell, I knew when we were babies too." He said with a grin.

"No you didn't." she kept protesting.

"Yes I did, you got more and more defiant, do you remember?"

"Because I wasn't tired." She said with a smile.

He chuckled "I love you Nan." He whispered.

"You were always more tired." She observed.

"Yeah." He agreed.

"Hey Gil?" she said.

"Ya?" he asked sleepy.

"Love you too."

* * *

The family headed up to the graveyard the next day. They approached the gravestone and Joy carrying flowers she approached and put the flowers on the grave

"Hi Grampy." She said to the gravestone. "I've got a secret, mamma's going to tell you now." She said.

Anne came in close behind and smiled at Joy. "Are you ready to go and find the minister? Let him know we have a baby to baptise sweetheart?" she said to her.

"Can I take Walter with me?" she asked.

"I think the minister would like that. Its Wednesday today his wife should be in the chapel tending to the flowers."

"Oh Beatrice is here!" Joy exclaimed happily taking Walter by the hand and walking away with him.

"Hi daddy." Anne said with a smile. "We thought we'd let you know your grandson made it safely." She smiled. "we named him John after John." Anne smiled.

"The children insist on calling him Jem." Gilbert laughed "it's kind of sweet."

"He has dark brown hair, so very dark!" Anne smiled.

"And grey eyes the colour of storm clouds." Gilbert smiled.

"Mama said he reminds her of my Great Uncle Paul." Anne smiled. "Mama showed me the portrait of him you had. She said you had loved Uncle Paul and there he was dark hair and dark eyes, very handsome! If John grows to be as handsome as that!"

"We'll need to keep an eye on him that's for sure!" Gilbert laughed.

They stayed there talking for five minutes before the minister and his wife came out with the children.

"Hello Anne, hello Gilbert." The minister smiled.

"Oh Anne!" The ministers wife cooed at John. "Oh Anne, he's gorgeous!"

"Thank you!" Anne exclaimed "I'm impartial to him myself." She laughed sweetly.

"Well I can't blame you!" she exclaimed, "And your first one born in Avonlea!" she exclaimed. "Isn't that something special." She smiled.

"Well needs be, we may need to take them back to Kingsport when they are older, show them where they used to live."

"Isn't that strange, I feel like you've always been here, but of course you have outside of term then both of you growing up."

"I can't believe you've been here since, well since I was thirteen!" Gilbert smiled. "It doesn't feel that long ago!"

"You were barely out of childhood yourselves when we came out here, and now look at you raising a family of your own." The minister said. "It's a beautiful thing."

"We were just introducing Walter to his new grandson." Gilbert told them. "The children love to come and see you."

"We wanted of course to let you know so we could arrange the baptism." Anne said with a smile. "We had the other two done by Jonas Blake, our favourite minister in Kingsport, we were good friends with his wife Phillipa, they'll be in attendance we hope but we would like them to be godparents."

The minister smiled "You would like a minister and his wife to be godparents? No better spiritual guidance could be had!"

"We like to think so!" Gilbert smiled.

"Well come inside, we can arrange the details now." The minster said with a smile.


	35. In the midst

He knew he neglected his family. He watched as his children slept in the bed beside his wife. The only one of them who was in the right bed was Anne. She had taken them to bed reading them a story the baby asleep on her tummy cuddling into her chest like it was a cushion and Joy cuddled into the nook of her arm the book still open. It was nearly midnight, they were all there fast asleep.

Nearing the end of his first year in medical school, he could barely believe how close he was to his final goal. In two years he would be nearing the end of medical school, he could start building their home, they could start building their future their real future! When they had taken this apartment there had only been three of them, now at five it was tight, adorably and lovingly tight but also there were times he worried, that this would be forever, that he wouldn't be able to give Anne, Bertha Joy, Walter and any other babes which came along. He loved his family, he wanted so desperately to provide for them and it was frustrating that he wasn't there yet.

"Gilbert?" he heard from behind him, he turned to see Bertha rubbing her eyes.

"Hey." He whispered to her.

She looked round her son in law and smiled "Shouldn't you be in there somewhere?" she asked him to which he chuckled. "Aren't you going to bed?" she asked him.

"Maybe." Gilbert admitted. "I was just, thinking." He said quietly. He looked at his mother in law and asked her "all those years ago Bertha, when I was packing your daughters clothes all that time ago, did you wonder how we were going to do this?" he asked her.

"No." She said plainly. "No, I thought it was romantic."

Gilbert looked at her and swallowed "I wanted to look after her, I wanted to protect her, I wanted to just be there for her."

Bertha looked at him concerned "Gilbert there are different ways of taking care of someone you know. There is the monetary ways yes, and it is important, but its not the only way to take care of someone." She looked up at him "You are smart and intelligent, you, and you alone saved my daughter from a life of misery..."

"of luxury of comfort..."

"Gilbert you listen to me and listen to me wholly do you understand? Do you think Walter gave me physical wealth? Do you think we were rolling in money? Do you think we had servants and ate the richest foods?" she asked him.

"Bertha, I know you didn't."

"Would it have made us happier?"

Gilbert opened his mouth and closed it saying quietly "no, no it wouldn't."

"You saw what being with Roy did to her, he was by no means a bad man, he's not a bad man, he's happy with Audrey, and although Anne and Audrey get along and get along well, they are by no means the same person." Bertha said with a smile. "Anne, is at her happiest, when she is with you Gilbert..." she looked at her daughter and said to him "her happiness is priceless." Bertha continued "I see the man, who will be able to support his family, who has come through almost five years of education, almost five years of marriage..." Bertha said with a smile "you could be as poor as a mouse, Anne would love you all the same and you are providing for her, for your family for me. You're father is proud of you, Walter would have been proud of you, and when you graduate from medical school I want you to stand proud at what you've accomplished. Do you understand me?"

Gilbert smiled and brought Bertha into a bear hug. "Its hard." He whispered.

"I know." Bertha acknowledged, "but it will be worth it one day." She smiled and pulled back looking at Anne and her grandchildren "I'll take Joy into her bed." Bertha smiled.

"I'll get Walter." He said quietly. "Hey Bertha?" Gilbert said quietly.

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

Bertha took Joy as promised and Gilbert moved Walter into his cot and then he slid into bed next to Anne.

"She's right you know." Anne said quietly.

He sat up and whispered over her shoulder "we thought you were asleep."

"I was." She admitted. "I heard whispering." She turned into him hugging into his chest. "It's a lot to ask of a man, isn't it love?" she said to him.

He took a sigh and said "Don't think I'm not grateful for everything you and you're mother has done for us, it just..." he sighed and said quieter "this isn't how its meant to be."

"Would you rather me be with Royal?" Anne asked him. "You know Audrey's pregnant." Anne told him.

"Really?!" Gilbert said happily "That's wonderful news, be sure to congratulate her for me."

"I know we are all friends now and I know we like him well enough, but would you want me to be with him?" Anne asked him.

"I'd rather you'd be comfortable and not to have to write and work in order to support me."

"In order to support _us_. Gilbert I am happy. I love I share my bed with you, I love that nothing gets in the way of us being together anymore, I love we can be honest and open and I'm not saying you're fears aren't unfounded, we've both seen the kind of men who allow their women to support them while they go and drink the earnings, but Gilbert that is not what is happening here." She said to him.

"I'm sorry I need reassuring over it so much Nan, I can't help it."

"I know." She said with a grin. "I think its part of being a man." She said with a shrug. "But I promise you Gilbert, I see you as nothing but a man." She said reaching under the covers and brushing against her husband. He looked down gasping slightly but with an equal grin on his face "do you understand me?" she asked him.

"Perfectly." He whispered, kissing into her hair.

She grinned "Did you finish your paper then?" she asked him.

"Yeah, the epidermis can shake in its boots." He said with a grin. "I know all about it now." He bit his lip and said "go on ask me anything."

She grinned "Can you explain how my skin always tingles when its next to yours?"

He chuckled and whispered "it called a biochemical reaction." He said leaning down and kissing her.

"Oh?" she flirted, "do tell me more Doctor Blythe."

He whispered in her ear "Why don't I just show you instead."


	36. The Pressure Mounts

**Hi Folks,**

 **So I know its been a while since I've updated this. I'll be honest running around after a 16 month is hard work and tiring then I have my other child and phew! So I've only had focus for AOGG2017 but I managed this week! So sometimes my updates are sporadic but I don't tend to abandon my stories... I come back eventually!**

 **So this one is like some of the others and I know I've said it before that the social pressures of' being a man' were a big deal back then and I really can't emphasise it enough and I think it would plague our boy Gilbert and there needed to be a real explosion so it could heal itself, slowly and surely.**

 **Anyway hope you enjoy, hopefully I'll be updating this more regularly.**

 **love**

 **Carrots x**

* * *

Anne ran her hand across his back gently but he still jumped out of his skin.

"Its past two in the morning love," she whispered. "Come on, even doctors need their sleep."

He felt flustered at her request "in a few minutes." He said shortly.

She swallowed and looked at him worried. "Okay Sweetheart." She whispered before she slipped back unseen into the bedroom.

It was another hour before she emerged from the bedroom again. "Gil..." she said wearily, please come..."

"I said in a minute!" he yelled, loud enough that a cry came from their bedroom.

Anne looked to him shocked, he rarely in his life lost his temper, but it seemed when he did, it was aimed at her. "I gave you sixty of them Gilbert, its been a hour since I was out here last." She said in a loud whisper which somehow cut right across the cry from the bedroom. Anne saying it seemed to have little impact on him in the moment, where he continued

"This isn't one of our childhood games Nan, don't you get it?!" he asked her. "I have to pass these exams, I have to finish each year or I don't get to be a doctor and all my work would have been for nought!" he told her "Don't you get it? This can't be fixed with little land stars and a bit of magic! This is real life..." He looked at her fallen face but he was resolute "don't you get what we brought into this world? We have two children, two! I mean what were we thinking! They play around during the day so I struggle to concentrate then, so I have to work at night."

That was when Anne looked at him daggers in her eyes, just as her mother came out of her bedroom and entered theirs to comfort Walter, the door closed behind her. "don't you ever talk about our children like that. They are loved and they are wanted, at least by me." Anne said to him.

"You know that isn't what I meant!" he said to her.

"No, I think I do understand that you see our children as an inconvenience." She said quietly enough that the sound of her voice didn't carry through the walls. "You seem to forget Gilbert Blythe, _we_ both brought them into the world."

"I know that!" he exclaimed.

"Do you?" Anne asked him. They seemed to glare at each other for a moment before she spoke quietly. "You seem to be forgetting Gilbert when you thought for a moment you hadn't got into medical school, you have a vocation to fall back on. You seemed willing and happy to do so. You're forgetting we are living on the boarder line of poverty for you to fulfil a dream, oh and this isn't me complaining before you get on your high Blythe horse, because we have been happy here, my mother and I, our children, we are happy to work and to live in a cramped and under par house because we see _you_ fulfilling your dream. You also seem to forget Gilbert that this is a home, not an office, if you want a office, I know the libraries are open and you could complete a lot of your work there before coming home..."

"I want to spend time with my family!" he protested.

"Then spend time with them!" she exclaimed. "Because Joy and Walter are starting to look at you like Mrs Blewett's children looked at her!" Anne told him to which his eyes went wide with shock. "when you are here you are yelling at them to be quiet, it would be better if you completed at least some of your work away from the home and then came home so when you were with the children, you are with the children, and not being the absent father I know you fear you'll become." Anne took a sigh and looked at Gilbert's shocked face. "I'm going to bed Gilbert, come or don't, I'll be sure not to try and ask of you to be healthy so you might enjoy medical school."

Gilbert didn't come to bed that night, though when Anne awoke the next morning and went into the living room she found him with the blanket she had made him wrapped around him, he had jumped at the door opening so was awake but failed to say anything to her. He hadn't even kissed her goodbye (which wasn't exactly a surprise as he had forgotten to kiss her goodbye in quite some time, but Anne suspected this time it had more to do with their early morning argument).

* * *

So Anne was surprised when a knock came to the door to see one of Gilbert's classmates standing before her "Excuse me, Mrs Blythe, but Gilbert asked me to give this to you." He said to her handing her a note.

"Thank you James." She said with a confused look as he walked away.

Bertha looked over Anne's shoulder and read the message

 _Come find the fairies with me. G x_

Bertha smiled and said to her "I have the children." She said quietly. "Do you know where to find him?" Bertha asked Anne.

"yes." Anne admitted, trying not to let the note melt her heart in one go. "I shan't go." She said.

"Oh Anne!" Bertha said with a smile to her daughter, "Your stubborn streak."

"I have every right to be stubborn, you heard what he said about our life, our love, our children..."

"I think he wants to apologise."

"So what?" she said "am I meant to let him treat me like dirt and then just let him apologise, we always come back to this ma, always, its always about him needing to finish medical school and damn the consequences of his wife and children, both of which I seem to remember him suggesting, he wanted us to run away he want to..."

Bertha laughed gently. "He wants to prove to you he's all man Anne." She said. "He wants to prove he can take care of you, and his children. You know this isn't Gilbert, you know him inside out! You just want to punish him more."

"So I should." Anne said crossing her arms in front of her stubbornly.

At Anne's surprise another class mate of Gilbert's came up the garden path "George?" Anne asked surprised.

"Gilbert wanted me to give you this." George told her. "He gave me it in class today, he gave another one to James, has he already been?" he asked.

"Yes, but..." Anne trailed opening the note and looked at it, the single word on it made her mother chuckle and Anne cave to his request.

 _Please?_

* * *

Under foot was the crunch of the autumn leaves beneath her feet and a soft leavings of dew. Something not of the forest was guiding her steps old stumps of pillar candles lit the ground as she approached the clearing in the grove of trees. She came to a halt as she saw the candles form a circle around the familiar clearing.

"I didn't think I'd convince you with the first note." She heard from above. She looked up to see Gilbert up a tree looking down at her. For once his tie gone his shirt loose as if they were children themselves.

"It didn't." She said softly.

"Last night..." he started.

"I meant it." She told him.

"I know." He returned. They were silent for a moment before he continued. "When I started the course there were four of us, who were married on the course. The other three had children living with them and slowly I've seen them one by one, drop away off the tree, like the leaves I suppose just falling away, gradually to the ground. The pressures were too great, their wife's wanted to settle, they didn't want them in medical school, and I know why, I saw them and I saw myself in them." He admitted. Anne let a sigh out and there climbed the tree to be beside him. She sat beside him and put her hand on his thigh his arm went around her. "There was no shame in them dropping out either, just the other fellows, and society I suppose we put this huge pressure on men being men and not needing to depend on women and not dragging their children up in a squalor, and I know your mom and you keep our house so clean and tidy I'm not complaining about that, its just they saw what I see, their wives their families suffering on their behalf and its a huge burden." She looked at him sadly before he shared quietly "I'm the only one left you know." She looked at him seriously but not unkindly "Matt dropped out last week." She sat silently suddenly feeling his burden with him "and so I respond the only way I know how. I can't drop out I know that, I'd kick myself for the rest of my life but I see you and Bertha, Joy and Walter, I know you deserve so much more then I'm giving you, its not enough and then I..." he trailed not saying it.

Anne finished quietly "...don't feel enough?" she questioned.

He nodded and continued "so I put all this pressure on myself and I know its the children's home but I have to work and I don't want to be the father they fear, I want to be a father they love. But I have to finish medical school I want to be a doctor and a good one."

Anne smiled and kissed him lightly on his salty cheek. "Look at me?" she asked him gently and he looked. "You are more then enough, you are an abundance..." she trailed when he shook his head "of cleverness and brains, knowledge, ambition, determination, hard working and most of all, where this is all coming from where this is stemmed, love." She said to him. She looked into his eyes "I'm not pretending this is easy or its the best circumstances, but know, we know you Gilbert Blythe. I wouldn't have been able to fall in love with you if you weren't so perfectly lovable and you know that's true." She said with a grin. "and you my dearest love was born to be the excellent father you are and the excellent doctor you'll become." She said to him which made him smile. "and I know remember? I know you best of all." She said as he grinned a bit wider and nodded reluctantly with her. "You will finish medical school and I bet top of the class just because you are so naturally brilliant and we can look back on days like this and chuckle fondly at them and say to each other it was such a short time and look at what we have now." Anne looked at him "and as long as you love us Gilbert," she said quietly "we have all we need."

"I do love you." He said quietly holding her to him. "and I'm sorry, I let my insecurities come out way too often." He looked at her and said "Oh and the quip on Mrs Blewett's..." he said with a grin to her.

Anne bit her bottom lip and cringed "I know, I'm sorry." She said as he chuckled.

"Ouch!" he mocked as she laughed "No love, it was the wake up call I needed." He said honestly. "Its been like this for a long time." He admitted "even before we had Joy, its mattered what other people think and its not like me Anne it isn't..."

"its exactly you Gilbert, you cared when the other little boys mocked you for having a girl as a best friend, you cared, not that you listened for a long time but you cared and the thing is you care deeply, its how we're connected so strongly because we're deep thinkers and deep feelers and we are so very very deeply in love." She smiled.

"You forgive me?" he asked her.

She smiled and looked at him "No matter what remember?" she asked him rubbing her nose with his. He chuckled and smiled lopsided grin.

"I'm going to make it up to Joy and Walter too." He said with a smile. "I want to take Joy out for some afternoon tea on Saturday, just me and Joy, spend some time just with her and on Sunday I want to take them both to the park and we can play." He said with his jaw set with determination.

Anne smiled "I think that is the sweetest idea in the whole world."

"I want our babies Nan." He said with some much feeling in his voice "Just as I want you."

She smiled as his lips nipped at her neck and they looked out to the opening in the trees. "Where did you get the candles?" she asked him.

"Jonas Blake, I went to his church on the way home, he was going to throw these all out because they were almost out of wick and he just got a new order in." He said honestly. "I told him my woe and he felt sorry for me and gave them to me."

"They look just like fireflies." Anne said with a smile.

"Can't find any in these woods." Gilbert admitted.

"Its the city." Anne admitted. "Its not like home." She smiled and whispered "On the land give me stars..." she sighed happily "I missed you Gil." She told him.

"I love you Nan." He said quietly, "please don't ever doubt it."


	37. Priorities

**Yes, I am late in getting anything uploaded this week, but I have one for all three this way! Which is very rare these days.**

 **Thank you for your patience. Love you all Carrots x**

* * *

Gilbert turned in his bed finding Anne beside him he chuckled wrapping his arms around her.

"Nan." He whispered cuddling her.

"Gil?" she said waking.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." He said to her softly.

"You didn't really." She told him. "We fell asleep." She said to him.

"Yeah, I think we did." He agreed. "But I missed you too much to leave." He said tickling her for a moment.

She giggle for a moment "Gil Stop!" she objected before he tickled her more. "Stop it, stop it now, you'll wake mama and pap and they'll take you home!" she objected.

He stopped then looking at her as she snuggled back into his chest. They were silent for a few moments so long Gilbert thought she might have gone to sleep.

"Did you really miss me today?" Anne whispered to him.

"Terribly." He told her "Your dad tried to get me to play with the other little boys." He said sighing. "I just, don't fit in."

He heard her sighing then said to him "You could fit in." she said to him.

"How?" he asked.

She swallowed and said quietly "we could stop being friends."

"No!" he objected his face screwing in anger, sitting up suddenly. "How could you say that!?"

"So you can fit in!" she told him sitting up next to him.

"If that what it takes to fit in then I don't want to." He objected.

"Gil, just enough so you can get along with the other little boys, play war with them."

"I want to play with you!" Gilbert told her "and a nurse would be better on the battlefield anyway."

"Then play ball!" she tried.

"No!" he objected.

"But you play with them before with me."

"with you." He told her "Exactly."

"Exactly!" Anne tried. "You need to play with them, you'll be with them two years before I come to school you have to get along with them!"

"I don't mind being alone." Gilbert told her.

"I do mind it!" Anne told him "Please Gilbert, please please. I don't want you the strange little boy who will only ever play with a girl, they'll call you a sissy."

"Then I guess that makes me a sissy." He told her calmly.

Anne looked at him her eyes going wide before she threw herself in to his arms. "You're no sissy, not to me."

"Thanks." He whispered. "Come on, we better get to sleep, I've got to go to school in the morning."

"Can we play together after?" she asked.

"Promise."

* * *

"Ô Canada!Terre de nos aïeux,Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!" The boys sang in unison. Their football game was a victory against their rival university from the states. They came out of the football stadium at the university arms around each other.

"Oh only a great Canadian could write it!" one of the boys shouted.

"Ay!" the majority of them agreed.

"God Save the Queen!" another boy shouted.

"God save our gracious Queen long live our noble queen, God save the Queen!" They all sang in unison.

"We should go to the bar!" one boy suggested.

"Yes!" the majority called.

"Gil?" One boy asked his team captain, the one boy who had remained quietly smiling through the other boys exuberance.

"No thank you boys." He said with a smile. "I am going to head off."

One of the boys laughed "she has you whipped doesn't she?" he commented to which the other laughed "The old ball and chains!" which got a hearty laugh from the other boys.

"Leave her out of it." Gilbert said rolling his eyes turning back to them looking serious.

"Ohhhh!" the majority exclaimed one or two who were close to Gilbert stopped knowing the lad was overstepping an invisible mark.

"You have children don't you?" the lad continued "Is that how she tied you down?"

"Thats it!" Gilbert exclaimed confronting the lad "You don't talk about my Anne that way!" he told him. "You and me right here!"

"Gil, calm down." One of his friends came between the two men.

"Not Nan, you know her, James."

"I know I do." James said calmly.

"I won't have someone defaming my wife!" Gilbert said looking the boy straight in the eye.

"Gil, I know but he's not worth it." His friend reminded him. Gilbert looked to James, he then realised the way he was behaving he took a deep breath. "Go home Gil, go home to that beautiful wife and your gorgeous children and remember you have a family to protect..." before he whispered to Gilbert "he's a big enough idiot to never have one too."

Gilbert looked at the lad again before he told the group "I have a final in the morning, I'm going home to study for it." He said "and yes, I'd rather spend time with my wife and children building a relationship and a life with them then wasting hours of my life I will forget by morning." He turned and walked away from the group. "Goodnight gentlemen." With it the entire team watched him walk away.

When finally out of earshot the boy turned to James and said "What was his problem?"

James unable to contain himself turned and punched the lad to which the rest of the lads burst into a cheer "Don't you talk that way about a lady again."

* * *

Gilbert came in the door his jacket dropped on the back of the chair where he landed next to Anne he held her around her middle and pulled her in.

She smiled looking down at him as he continued to hug in pulling her closer.

"Where's your ma?" he asked her.

"She went to bed early." Anne admitted.

"The babies asleep?" he asked.

"Both in the land of nod, I took them to the park today and they really ran off some energy." She smiled. "How was your game?" she asked him.

"We won." He said flatly.

"Aren't you pleased?" she asked him.

"I'm exhausted." He sighed.

She smiled down at him as he hugged into her just under her bust. "Don't you enjoy playing?" she asked him. "You're the one who stayed on after you graduated."

He sighed heavily "I didn't want to get out of shape." She heard him mumble.

She paused and stroked into his curls. "Is this about your physical fitness?" she asked him, meaning the hug.

"No." He said quietly. "Some of the boys called me whipped." He sighed again looking up at his wife "I defended you, but the truth is I don't even care if its true."

"Oh Gil." She whispered looking into his eyes. "You've always been sensitive about this. Remember your first few weeks at school."

"I stayed with you every night over night." He remembered with a smile. "You're my home." He whispered.

"No matter what." She smiled at him. She took a deep breath and said to him "Do you enjoy the game?" she asked him.

He shrugged sitting up beside her "Not anymore, not really, just I've been captain throughout my whole time and I just can't seem to fade into the background."

"It is one of the things about being postgrad, especially in medical school, you need to prioritise what's important now."

"are you saying my physical health isn't important?"

"I'm saying half way through medical school, we're almost done and from now on its going to about what's most important and keeping those things in place, now I'm not saying your physical health isn't important but if you're really not enjoying it anymore is there any more effective ways of keeping fit? Something which will take less time? Unless you really are enjoying it..."

"No, I'm not really." He told her.

"Well this isn't school, its not something you have to do." She advised him.

He swallowed and nodded "I'll think about it." He told her.

She sighed in return and told him "The publisher wants to make more edits to my story." She admitted.

"Oh no!" he exclaimed his face dropping "Oh Nan, I'm sorry."

She sighed heavily "it feels like everything original is being edited out. I don't know if my book will ever get published, maybe I'm better off with short stories."

"If anyone can," he whispered "You can Nan." He smiled "I know you better then anyone, with you, anything is possible." He said with a smile. "and this, this is why those boys are so wrong." He continued "They called you a 'ball and chain' and they claimed I was 'tied down' by you, truth is, you set me free." He said with a smile "I could never have become who I am without you." He told her. She smiled back and they closed together kissing lightly. "Come to bed with me." He whispered to which she nodded.


	38. Full Circle

**May 1890**

"Nan can you help with this tie, I can't get it on right!" he exclaimed.

Anne got up and stood in front of her husband as she tied the tie she saw his eyes not leaving her "What?" she asked.

"You look beautiful Nan." he whispered to her reverently.

She smiled and her eyes flickered to his "And you are the love of my life." She whispered back. "I could never believe I came so close to marrying someone else."

Gilberts lips upturned "well you were confused about all those feelings you had for me, I was your best friend after all."

"I wasn't confused, I knew exactly how I felt, what I didn't understand was how you couldn't seem to love me, when we were so close."

"I have loved you my whole life!" He exclaimed.

"And I've loved you my whole life." She said with a grin still not looking at him. "And now love, look at where we are." She smiled.

"You don't regret it, do you?" he asked her.

She looked up seriously at him "Never, not a single second." She whispered.

"Me too." He agreed. "I can't believe I'm a doctor!" he smiled.

"Ah! Not until you get that little diploma you aren't." She teased.

"They aren't going to kick me out now are they?" he asked with a grin. She reached up and kissed him, longingly and gently. They broke at the sound of little foot steps behind them.

There stood little Joy and Walter John in their best clothes and hats.

"Who is this vision I beholdest?" Gilbert smiled at his daughter, Walter John running into Anne's arms..

"Mama!" Walter John exclaimed

"It's me Daddy!" Joy exclaimed jumping into his arms. "Joy!"

"Oh Walter what a handsome little chap you are." Anne smiled at him. Despite the boy having his mother's colouring his nose and eyes were his fathers. This made Anne glad, for the boy to be like Gilbert and the perfect mix of his namesake in there, it was just perfect on the little fella.

"So it is you!" Gilbert laughed at Joy "here was me thinking you were a young lady, maybe even one of the students at the university!"

Joy laughed merrily "Not yet papa!" she giggled.

"But one day?" he asked her.

"Yeah,one day." She agreed. "I'm going to be a doctor just like you daddy!"

Bertha came out of the bedroom "Right that's everything packed away, are you sure you're okay to get them down to port before graduation Gilbert?" she asked him.

"I'm sure." Gilbert smiled and then looked at Bertha directly "You look lovely Bertha." He told her.

"Thank you." Bertha smiled "I have every right to it." She smiled at the pair. "Are you looking forward to your meal with all your friends?" she asked them.

"Four PM." Gilbert said with a nod.

"Phil and Jo, Stella and Daniel, Roy and Audrey, James and Louise and Ron said he'd bring his sister Christine..." Anne smiled.

"Ah!" Gilbert said in relief, "I am glad I do like Ron, I was worried when he said he wouldn't come."

"Quite the party, is the restaurant nice?" Bertha asked them.

"It better be, Roy chose it." Gilbert smiled.

"He does have excellent taste in food." Anne acknowledged.

"Right lets remember how we need to behave today?" Bertha smiled at her grandchildren.

* * *

 **Sept 1905**

Gilbert watched her as she put her clothes on that night.

"You look as lovely as you did twenty years ago love." He told her.

She chuckled looking at him. "Even with my wrinkles starting to show?" she asked him

He laughed "You have none, you look as beautiful as they day we married." He looked in the mirror at himself "Oh!" he exclaimed "Look at me?" he exclaimed "All grey hairs and wrinkles." He told her.

"But no middle aged spread." Anne said with a grin to him. "Philippa wrote me not long ago that she'd seen him and he'd got positively corpulent. Gilbert, Dr. Murray may be a very eminent man in his profession but he looks just like a lath and Dr. Fowler looked like a doughnut. You looked so handsome . . . and finished . . . beside them."

"Oh, thanks . . . thanks. That's something like a wife should say. Though I'd perhaps not say that to their faces." He said with a grin to his wife. "By way of returning the compliment I thought you looked unusually well tonight, Nan that dress..." he smiled at her new apple-green net over a slip with rosebuds, "And you had a little colour and your eyes which is so..." he said coming in from behind and holding her to him looking over her shoulder in the mirror "...gorgeous." he said with a smile to her. "Should I call home?" he asked her "check to see if the babies are behaving well for our mothers?" he asked her.

"You know they love it when Nanny Bertha is left in charge." Anne said with a smile. "And it wasn't all that long ago that Avonlea wouldn't have telephones never mind one directly to our house!" she exclaimed "Whatever would we have done?!" Anne smiled.

"I know its a convenience Nan, its just we're going to be away overnight is all?" he said. "The hotel room is comfortable but I'd rather be home." He admitted.

"Mamma said we needed some time alone, that you've been working really hard lately Gilbert and I must agree with her." Anne said practically "with the measles outbreak and everything."

"There's always an outbreak of something or another." He acknowledged.

"Its just one night Gil." She whispered to him before she admitted "I miss them too."

"I do have a surprise for you though, " he said spinning her in his arms.

"Oh?"

" _It's time we had a second honeymoon. Anne, there's going to be a big medical congress in London next February. We're going to it . . . and after it we'll see a bit of the Old World. There's a holiday coming to us. We'll be nothing but lovers again . . . it will be just like being married over again. You haven't been like yourself for a long time. You're tired and overworked . . . you need a change. I'm not going to have it cast up to me that doctors' wives never get a pill. We'll come back rested and fresh, with our sense of humour completely restored. Well, try your pendant on and let's get to bed. I'm half dead for sleep . . . haven't had a decent night's sleep for weeks_ , and I already cleared it with your mother, she said she would be happy to have the children."

Anne's arms wrapped around her husbands, "Oh Gil!" she exclaimed. "I never could have believed our lives could be so happy! But look at all we have! Our seven beautiful children, our home our family!"

"There were days I never believed this would happen, that it might be possible!" he exclaimed "but it was." He said with a kiss to her hand "I am so glad I got to spend all my yesterdays and get to spend all my tomorrows with you." He told her.

"No matter what?" Anne said as in olden times.

"No matter what, forever." He agreed. "I will love you forever." He said to her.

"I'll love you forever." She agreed, where she wordlessly took his arm and they headed out for the night.

* * *

 **I wanted the story to come full circle with Gilbert getting ready for his graduation from Medical school with his friends around him. Then for that glimpse into their later life, still happy still together. I know this story has been going on for a while and I think I've shown their struggle, but also their devotion to each other. Thanks for all your follows and reviews (and keep them coming!) Thank you so much! Love Carrots x**


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